Dangerous Storm, Officials Urge Residents to Stay Home

UPDATE: 4:15 p.m. Saturday, The Peekskill Police have announceis in effect.

The Peekskill Haunted House and Lincoln Museum Restoration Preview Event are canceled tonight.

Power outages: Buchanan: 753, Peekskill: 826, Cortlandt: 394

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This morning’s unusual snowstorm has dropped about three to four inches of snow in the area and is causing dangerous travel conditions throughout the county. The National Weather Service expects snowfall rates of one to possibly two inches per hour through 5 p.m.

“It is a Nor’easter, just happening in winter conditions,” said Jeff Coleman, the Director of Cortlandt’s Department of Environmental Services.

Coleman and Peekskill’s Department of Public Works Director Howard Wessells are advising residents to stay home. The National Weather Service warns of reduced visibility, slush covered roads and high winds this afternoon.

“The main roads are passable but its slow going. It’s just starting to pile up,” Coleman said.

Coleman added that heavy snow on limbs and wind gusts could cause trees to fall on power lines and said the town has a tree contractor on call in case they need him.

Both Peekskill and Cortlandt have about ten workers out plowing roads. Cortlandt salted this morning, and Peekskill plans to salt this afternoon.

The two municipalities scrambled yesterday to prepare trucks for snow, as they were not expecting to deal with snow so early in the year.

“We worked feverishly yesterday and all morning getting trucks ready for the snow,” Coleman said. “The mechanics did good job getting together the trucks they could and the rest we have covered with contractors.”

The snow is expected to continue through the night but to stop before sunrise tomorrow. Tomorrow is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high near 43.

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