Mayor Bill de Blasio says all city agencies are all coordinating their efforts ahead of this weekend's snowstorm.
Snow is expected to start Saturday in the early morning hours and will continue on and off through most of the day.
About four to eight inches of snow are expected to fall in and around the city, but higher totals are possible if the storm stalls or rapidly intensifies.
The National Weather Service notes that winds will be very strong on Saturday, setting up the possibility for a period of blizzard-like conditions.
Blowing snow means visibility will be reduced even if there is not a huge amount of snow.
As a result, the mayor has issued a hazardous travel advisory for both Saturday and Sunday.
Starting Friday morning, the city Sanitation Department says workers will begin working 12-hour shifts with thousands of employees spreading salt throughout the five boroughs.
The mayor advises New Yorkers to call 311 if they have any issues, especially concerning the lack of heat or hot water.
"Every New Yorker can help out, as always," de Blasio said. "When the storm hits, it is crucial for people to stay off the streets to the maximum extent possible."
"If you need to move around, use mass transit to the maximum extent possible. Be aware of the safety conditions that come with the storm. It's slippery outside, it can be dangerous, so we want people to be very cautious over the weekend."
As of now, the mayor expects normal school schedules for both Friday and Monday.
The Big Apple has only seen four-tenths of an inch of accumulation this year.
With Saturday's storms, the plows and salt spreaders will be busy.
City agencies said they're grateful that the storm isn't hitting on a busy weekday commute.
"The good news is I guess for some people, the snow will be on the weekend. So it doesn't affect schools too much, it doesn't affect commuting too much," OEM Commissioner Joseph Esposito told reporters Wednesday.
"But sanitation, the DOT, they have their plans that they roll in depending on how much snow we're gonna get."
In addition, the MTA said it placed snow-melting equipment at critical points throughout the subway system, including heaters for the electrified third rails in order to keep trains moving.
The agency said 79 trains will have "scraper shoes" to help reduce icing on the third rail.
The MTA is expected to deploy about 1,000 track workers during the storm, and 800 station workers will help keep stairs and platforms clear of snow.The city also suspended alternate-side parking regulations for Saturday.
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