A snowstorm sweeping through the tri-state area halted air traffic at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports Saturday afternoon — and is expected to be the start of a messy holiday weekend.
Up to four inches of snow was forecast for northwestern New Jersey Saturday, and by 1 p.m. there was enough precipitation in the five boroughs for officials to put a ground stop on air traffic at LaGuardia Airport.
A short time later nearby Newark Liberty International and Teterboro airports were also in a ground stoppage. By 2 p.m., flights were also halted at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The snow isn’t expected to stick around much on Saturday in New York City — but the forecast for Sunday and Monday was quite different, meteorologists said.
On Saturday, snow is likely to end after 4 p.m., with temperatures at 32 degrees.
“As far as the rest of Saturday goes, it looks like we’ll have some snow here for the next few hours continuing in the city and really it’s been snowing across most of New Jersey as well,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski told The Post.
However, Saturday’s snow will have a tough time sticking to streets and sidewalks, “but grassy areas, Central Park, car tops” could see “a slushy coating on some surfaces this afternoon,” he said.
Snow could start again on Sunday as early as 8 a.m. in Central Park, with anywhere from 2 to 4 inches expected to fall during the day.
By late Sunday morning and even early evening, it may still be falling, possibly even heavier than before — and there is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for New York City starting at 7 a.m. on Sunday and continuing until 8 p.m.
“It might not be particularly heavy at first. It might be really light and not sticking,” Pydynowski predicted.
“There’s probably a period at some point tomorrow afternoon where it comes down a little harder and a little steadier.
“We do get below freezing Sunday night. So even though the snow’s long gone, people out driving or walking to the subway, will have to watch for some slick spots,” he added.
Temperatures could drop to 25 degrees on Sunday night into Monday morning — making for a messy commute on the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
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