The NWS Forecaster Discussion for the NYC region...
forecast.weather.gov

... A potentially historic winter storm will impact the Tri-State area today into Monday. This is a dangerous situation with blizzard conditions expected to develop tonight.

All guidance has converged on the evolution, track, and intensity of the system. There are some subtle differences with the global models taking a 970 mb low close to the 40N/70W benchmark by Monday morning, while the hires models are slightly farther west. The latter could be the difference for even higher snowfall amounts than currently forecast.

Low pressure will quickly develop off along the North Carolina coast this morning and rapidly intensify this evening into Monday morning as it slowly lifts north-north east towards the 40N/70W benchmark. The 00Z ECMWF has come into better agreement as it has generally been on the eastern envelope of the operational guidance. This slight shift has resulted in the model QPF coming more into line with the current forecast. Forecast liquid equivalent amounts are mainly between 1.5 and 2 inches. Initially, snow ratios will start out 10:1 or even a bit lower today, then increasing to 12-14:1 by daybreak Monday as colder air wraps around the system. NBM snow ratios have been consistently too high through the event from start to finish.

While deep-layered lift in the snow growth region (-10 to -20C) favors dendritic growth and high ratios, high winds will likely result in fracturing of the crystals, lowering rates. Putting this all together, expect 1 to 2 ft across the tri-state. This is up a few inches from the last forecast.

On the higher end, the NBM (01Z) supports 23 to 30 inches across the area, due to a bit more QPF and the aforementioned higher ratios.

Its 90th percentile supports close to 3 ft across much of the area. The NAMNest is also on the higher end with 2 to 3 inches of liquid equivalent. This is likely due to its more westward track.

The 06Z HRRR which is similar in its track is very much in line with the current forecast. However, a reasonable worst case could put totals up to 3 ft. ...

Mamdani Faces Criticism Over LongStanding NYC Snow Shoveler ID Rules
www.newsweek.com

... New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is coming under fire from conservative commentators and political opponents for requiring residents to show five forms of identification to become an "emergency snow shoveler", even though the rules predate his time in office.

As the Big Apple faces its second snowstorm in less than a month and its first blizzard since 2016, the 34-year-old mayor announced on Saturday that emergency snow shovelers would be welcome to join the efforts of 1,000 such workers deployed by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) from Sunday.

To select these workers, Mamdani and the DSNY are working under ID requirements set by prior administrations and which were neither loosened nor tightened by the new mayor. ...

The role of emergency snow shoveler was not created by Mamdani, but has existed for years in New York City, which has relied on these workers after heavy snowfalls to clean up public bus stops, crosswalks, and fire hydrants.

These workers are hired by day, according to the DSNY, and, as of 2024, were paid from $18.54 per hour. This year, they will be paid from $19.14 per hour, according to a social media post by the department. Their salary goes up to $28.71 per hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week.

In order to become an emergency snow shoveler this time around, willing New Yorkers must show up to their local sanitation garage between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with their paperwork, accessible online at NYC.gov/snow. If accepted, they would be able to start working straight away, according to the mayor.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the U.S., and able to perform heavy physical labor.

They normally also need to have two small photos, two original forms of ID, plus copies, and their Social Security card to register for an appointment, but the DSNY said New Yorkers can show up to their sanitation garage on Sunday without appointment.

In a statement to Newsweek, Joshua Goodman, the deputy commissioner for public affairs and customer experience at the DSNY, said: "The emergency snow shoveler program is a long-standing initiative that gives New Yorkers the opportunity to earn money clearing crosswalks, bus stops, fire hydrants, and other critical infrastructure when major winter storms hit our city. Every year, hundreds of workers step up to keep their communities safe and moving."

He added: "As with any employer, the City of New York has a legal obligation under federal law to verify work authorization and maintain proper documentation before issuing payment. We are not legally permitted to hand out checks without completing that process. ...