Winter Storm Fern Pummels Rye as City Faces Increasingly Treacherous Conditions

This article was updated on Jan. 25 at 7:40 p.m.

Winter Storm Fern barreled into Rye Sunday morning and has continued to batter the city, leaving nearly whiteout conditions. 

The city’s DPW plows were out early clearing streets as several inches of snow had already blanketed the city by noon.

Downtown, Patisserie Salzburg, Jerry’s Post Road Market and Le Pain Quotidian were the only businesses seen open Sunday morning as Fern hit town — as the city’s major business corridor was completely shuttered. The Rye library and Rye Nature Center were also closed.

Rye police reported that roadways were slick Sunday evening and beginning to freeze over as snowfall was joined by sleet.

The Rye City and Rye Neck school districts quickly announced Sunday that all schools and buildings will be closed on Monday due to the snowstorm.

Temperatures were reported at 18 degrees, shortly before 12 p.m., with a wind chill making it feel more like -1, according to The Weather Channel. By 6 p.m., a lessening wind chill had brought the weather up to 5 degrees.

Up to 18 inches of snow could blanket Rye, based on estimates from the National Weather Service (NWS). In coastal areas, NWS has also warned residents that snow could mix with freezing rain or sleet this weekend. 

The mammoth storm is expected to bring treacherous conditions — stretching from Texas to the Northeast, according to meteorologists.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the lower Hudson Valley — including Westchester County — due to forecasted snow accumulations and hazardous travel conditions. It is expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m. on Monday.

The NWS also issued a snow and ice advisory for all of southeast New York, northern New Jersey, and southern Connecticut starting late Saturday night through Monday afternoon. 

“We are closely monitoring the National Weather Service forecasts and activating all appropriate response plans,” Mayor Josh Nathan, who has been on the job less than a month, said Friday. “Our Department of Public Works crews and Police and Fire Departments are ready, but we also ask residents to take personal preparedness seriously and help keep our community safe.”

Temperatures plummeted Friday evening, dipping as low as 8 degrees overnight — and into the negative when factoring in the wind chill.

Saturday also brought a continuation of the arctic weather, with temperatures only topping out at 18 degrees, while wind gusts eclipsed 25 miles per during the early morning hours.

Senior city staff will be working overtime through the completion of the winter storm to coordinate response efforts, city officials said.

To encourage residents to stay off the roads all city-owned buildings, including City Hall, will be closed on Monday. And all recreation programs have been suspended on Sunday and Monday. 

The city’s garbage collection has also been canceled.

Officials are asking residents to move vehicles off roadways to help DPW crews clear streets efficiently and keep roads open for police, fire, and EMS.

Metro-North Railroad said its New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson line trains were running on an hourly schedule Sunday — before transitioning to a reduced schedule at 6 p.m. and running every two hours. The transit agency advised commuters to avoid travel unless “absolutely necessary.”

Due to the worsening weather conditions, Westchester County decided to suspend its Bee-Line Bus System and Bee-Line ParaTransit services beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, while all flights at Westchester Airport were also canceled.

The city, meanwhile, is encouraging residents to sign up for Rye emergency alerts through CodeRED and also monitor updates through the city’s website and on Facebook and Instagram.

Winter Storm Fern is expected to bring the largest snowfall in Westchester so far this winter. NWS data from the last snowfall reports that the only Westchester community to break 3 inches of snow earlier this week was Croton-on-Hudson. 

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins warned Friday of transportation disruptions and even potential power outages over the weekend and into next week.

“We’ve been through this before, we live in the Northeast, it’s going to snow,” he said during a press briefing Friday. “But we want everyone to be taking this time seriously.”

County officials confirmed there will be additional 911 dispatchers, police officers, and emergency service responders, as well as extra public works crews on duty during the storm.

Hazardous driving conditions are expected over the weekend due to the precipitation. Those hazards include slick roads and limited visibility — which may include total white-out conditions, according to county officials.

“We ask all of you, please stay off the roads, especially Sunday and until the roads are clear on Monday,” Westchester County Emergency Services Commissioner Susan Spear urged.

If travel is absolutely necessary, officials recommend drivers bring tire chains, jumper cables, a flashlight, shovel, extra clothes, water and snacks, blankets, and a first aid kit.

Spear is also encouraging residents to fully charge their phones and electronic devices before the storm, and to stock up on flashlights and batteries in the event of a widespread power outage.

Rye Country Day School did not respond to The Record’s request for whether the school plans to open on Monday.