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The winter storm comes just a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took office, and supervising the cleanup could be his first big test. At a news conference Thursday, he said he was “focused like a laser on protecting this city.”

“It would be nice to have a nice calm first day but we have snow on our mind,” he said.

De Blasio said 1,700 plows and 450 salt spreaders would be on the streets as soon as the snow started falling. He did not declare a snow emergency and said he would wait until morning to decide whether schools will open Friday.
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In addition to salting and spraying industrial alcohol, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has “people ready if needed to dig out switches,” said spokeswoman Marjorie Anders. Also, “We have turned on switch heaters, which are like electric blankets for the track.”

Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said, “We’re ready. We’ve dealt with major snowstorms before.”

Among the equipment in place at airports and bridges were melters that can liquefy up to 500 tons of snow an hour, the agency said. Two dozen plows and spreaders were handling the George Washington Bridge alone.

Con Ed spokesman Sidney Alvarez said the electric utility was expecting the snowfall to be powdery, rather than wet and heavy. “But with any type of snow you’re looking at extra weight on branches that can snap and bring power lines down.”

He said crews were “on alert and ready to mobilize,” especially in the northern suburbs where the snow might be heavier and trees more prevalent.

New York City ordered all construction sites secured. Its schools were open Thursday but many elsewhere in the metro area closed pre-emptively or planned early dismissals. At the Toga bike shop on Manhattan’s West Side, metal-studded bicycle tires were on sale for $45 each.

Jamesie Killeen, walking his dog Nutley in the Bronx, said he heard a foot of snow could fall, but decided to be optimistic.

“Maybe this will be it for the year,” he said. “Get it out of the way on Jan. 2.