Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday night issued an emergency state order due to the monster storm that is expected to cover New York City.
Residents were urged to stay home during the storm, with all non-essential travel restricted from 6 a.m. Monday.
“This is a very dangerous storm,” the mayor told NY1.
Only those seeking medical treatment or medical supplies and essential workers, such as lifeguards, pharmacy and grocery store staff, and restaurant and dealer workers will be allowed on the roads.
“New Yorkers should stay home, keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles, and let our plows work to keep us safe,” de Blasio said in a statement.
“Don’t be fooled: this storm will cause heavy snowfall and make travel to all neighborhoods of our city dangerous.”
The storm, dubbed Orlena by the Weather Channel, is expected to pour between 18 and 24 inches of snow into the Big Apple until Monday and Tuesday.
The heaviest snowfall is expected in the middle of the morning Monday evening, with the possibility of the flakes falling at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
The mixture of heavy snow and gusty winds could cause snowstorm conditions.
It would be the first time in at least five years that the city will be covered with more than a foot of snow during a single storm.
De Blasio said earlier Sunday that the coronavirus vaccination appointments scheduled for Monday had been postponed due to the impending storm, and a decision had yet to be made on Tuesday’s appointments.
“It will be rescheduled quickly,” he later told NY1 about Monday’s appointments.
“We don’t want people to try a vaccine and end up hurting themselves during that time.”
Face-to-face instruction in the city’s public schools was also canceled on Monday, with online classes.
Alternative parking was suspended on both Monday and Tuesday.