NEW YORK — New Yorkers spent much of Tuesday preparing for a storm that could drop over a foot of snow on the five boroughs.

• Interactive Radar: Keep Track of the Storm
• Winter Storm Warning Issued Ahead of Major Nor'easter

The nor'easter, for which the city is under a Winter Storm Warning, could be one of the biggest snow events to hit the city in years. It could dump anywhere between 6 to 10 inches of snow for the southern part of the city, or 8 to 14 inches for the northern parts. We'll get a clearer sense of the snowfall total Wednesday morning.

Snowfall is expected to start around 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, becoming heavier in the night and overnight before gradually tapering off later Thursday morning into the afternoon.

Wind gusts may top 30 to 40 mph at times, causing blowing snow and poor visibility.

New Yorkers went to the stores a day before the snow was to fall in hopes of beating out the lines to stock up on groceries. At one point, the line for the Trader Joe's in Chelsea wrapped around the block.

But, as Julian Lopez packed up his bags, he was looking forward to the storm.

"We've had really easy snowstorms the last few years, and this is early so it's nice to get it out of the way," Lopez said. "I love snow. I'm from Cuba, we don't have snow."

Other shoppers were unconcerned about the predicted snowfall.

"I know when the pandemic hit there was a lot of panic buying, but to tell you the truth, I didn't even think of the storm," Jeremy Friedman said.

Some of the shoppers on line say this is good timing for a storm like this because it will encourage New Yorkers to stay safe and inside as COVID-19 cases rise in the city.

"I feel like people should stay inside, and I feel like Mother Nature is giving a hint," Marist Acosta said.

How the City Is Preparing: Alternate-Side Parking, Schools, and More

Alternate-side parking will be suspended Wednesday and Thursday due to the storm, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday afternoon.

A hazardous travel advisory is slated to be issued later Tuesday and last through Thursday night.

De Blasio warned blizzard-like conditions are possible Thursday morning. New Yorkers are advised to stay home if they can.

If you drive, you're urged to avoid Manhattan if possible and make every effort to not be on the road during rush hour Wednesday as the snowfall starts. During a snowstorm on November 15, 2018, the city's roadways, particularly in Manhattan, practically came to a stop as snow began to fall during the height of rush hour.

In-person classes and bus service will run Wednesday as the snow isn't expected to start until after school ends, de Blasio said. The city intends to make a decision on Thursday's in-person learning around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but parents are advised to prepare an alternative plan. Remote learning will continue Thursday regardless of whether school buildings close.

Health & Hospital testing sites will be closed Wednesday starting 2 p.m. They are expected to reopen Thursday at noon. But vaccine deliveries will continue as scheduled, the mayor said.

Roadway dining will be suspended starting 2 p.m. Wednesday, and restaurant owners are instructed to get equipment, particularly heaters, out of the streets. Sidewalk dining will be allowed. The city hopes all outdoor dining will be allowed to return Thursday night.

Food deliveries will continue as scheduled for New Yorkers in need.

What Will Happen to Bus Service?

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is gearing up for the storm.

The agency held a press conference shortly before de Blasio's to urge New Yorkers to avoid traveling during the storm.

"If snowfall is heavy, please stay home if you don't need to go out," said Patrick Foye, MTA chairman and CEO.

The MTA says it is doing what it can to prepare, including putting chains on bus tires and getting hundreds of pounds of de-icing materials and sandbags ready to go. Snow plow trucks and box trucks are also being prepared to clean the streets and subway entrances. Long buses will come off the road and be replaced with buses better equipped for driving in snow.

"Personnel and equipment are at the ready so service can continue as safely and reliably through the storm and its aftermath. Workers will be ready to spread salt and clear platforms of snow and ice," Foye said. "Crews are also on standby to remove downed trees that fall across tracks and attend to any other weather related challenges."

The main concern is the possibility of suspending buses, especially with subways closed between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., and above-ground trains during the day. The MTA said it will try to give as much warning as possible if there's a disruption in service.

“Obviously we want to avoid suspending bus service at all costs, especially during the overnight hours, but we will be prioritizing safety," said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of MTA New York City Transit.

Riders can check MTA.info for the latest service updates.

Snow Struggles for Restaurants

While some New Yorkers are unbothered by the approaching storm, restaurants are facing a logistics and cost burden related to the snow.

Brandon Bernard, 31, has seen eight New York City winters during his time as a host at La Bella Vita in Little Italy, but he knows any significant amount of snow on Mulberry Street can present a problem for him and neighboring businesses. The roadway is only wide enough for one lane of traffic and there isn’t much extra space to put any excess snow once it’s pushed out of the way.

“I remember a couple of years ago, we had a whole lot of snow to the point where you couldn’t walk on the sidewalks," Bernard said. "You had to walk in the middle of the streets.”

And walking in the street is not an option this year. Due to the pandemic and the current ban on indoor dining, nearly the entire block is filled with outdoor dining structures, sometimes on both sides of the street. The structures didn’t come cheap, and Bernard worries they might be damaged or need to be taken down during snow removal after this week’s storm.

“If it does snow as bad as they say it's going to, you know…to take it down and then put it back up, that's going to cost double," Bernard said.

De Blasio and Edward Grayson, the acting commissioner of the city sanitation department, tried to put those concerns to rest during a press conference earlier in the day. According to Grayson, the department has spent the last few months looking at where outdoor dining structures are in order to plan for any issues with snow removal.

“For our tighter block responses, we do have holsters, which are just a small version of our salt spreader plows," Grayson said. "We went out and did site inspections to look for roadway widths. And we've adjusted our routes so that we can have smaller pieces service the areas where it is tighter."

But restaurant owners and employees aren’t the only ones worried about whether the amount of snow expected will keep restaurants from offering outdoor dining as soon as they are allowed to. Some hope other New Yorkers will pitch in to help dig them out if needed.

“It’s so important to be open as much as they can," a New Yorker named Simone said.

“I think people will help get rid of the extra snow," chimed in Alyse.

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