ALBANY - Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Thursday for much of downstate New York as a winter storm continued to sock the state and the East Coast.
The state of emergency order applies to Westchester County and points south, including New York City and Long Island, Cuomo said at a briefing in his Manhattan office.
Most train stations and airports remained opened Thursday morning throughout New York City and its suburbs, though nearly two-thirds of flights at the three city-area airports had been canceled by 10 a.m. and downed trees had hindered service late Thursday morning on Metro-North's Hudson Line.
But Cuomo warned that large amounts of snow combined with high winds would lead to dangerous conditions in the southern part of the state, particularly for commuters heading east.
"There are two weather patterns that have collided," Cuomo said Thursday. "It is snow plus very high gusts of wind, and that changes the situation very dramatically. Again, gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. That is a very serious situation."
Cuomo's state of emergency makes it easier for state agencies and authorities to transport emergency equipment and snow-removal supplies across county lines.
The order waves certain regulations and rules, allowing the state to more easily transport emergency equipment and snow-removal supplies across county and town lines while allowing it to declare broad-reaching travel bans or restrictions, if necessary.
Cuomo has made it a standard procedure to issue such an order during major storms.
"It basically waves regulations and gives us ability to do things we wouldn't be able to do without legislative approval or regulatory change," Cuomo said.
Joe Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said he's hopeful the New York City public-transit system will be operating at near-normal levels for the evening commute, though he noted MTA stations saw fewer commuters than normal during the morning rush.
Lhota said Metro-North trains are "also working," but warned that high winds had caused some issues on the Hudson Line.
"We have a full complement of employees up there," Lhota said. "We're having a wind situation on the Hudson Line, so some of our stations are being bypassed because of trees that are down. They are being fixed as we speak."
Lhota said employees are working through the day to ensure the evening commute runs well, but warned commuters to check the MTA's website or app to find any delays.
