The five boroughs are under a “Hazardous Travel Advisory” issued by the city Office of Emergency Management between Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening, as several inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to fall on the roads.

About two to four inches of snow and sleet are expected to fall on the city by mid-morning Tuesday, and then up to two-tenths of an inch of freezing rain will top the snowfall with ice.

Roads and sidewalks are expected to be very slippery and traffic will be slowed down.

Then late Tuesday night, a second wave of wintry precipitation will fall on the city. Sleet and freezing rain will fall overnight and then almost an inch of rain will fall by Wednesday evening.

New Yorkers are urged to take mass transit and to avoid driving on roads during and immediately after the snow storm. They should also allow for extra time to get around, and take caution on platforms and stairs and while boarding trains and buses.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is preparing for the bad weather by sending de-icing trains to keep the rails in working order.

MTA officials urge New Yorkers to check www.mta.info for the latest transit service changes.

City transportation officials have suspended alternate side parking and parking meter rules for today and tomorrow, given the coming bad weather.

The Department of Sanitation issued a snow alert today that will take effect at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, meaning that salt spreaders will be loaded and plows will be attached to vehicles.

Also, the Department of Buildings is warning homeowners, contractors and builders to remove ice and snow from roofs and to prepare buildings and construction sites for the upcoming storm.

(Source: NY1)