Recently, our area had a big snowstorm. Thankfully, I was home and didn’t need to drive in it, but I was concerned for friends who did. I used the internet to check for closings, accidents, power outages, and snow totals. It occurred to me that others might find this information useful, so here are the websites I used. Keep in mind that if you are outside the Albany, NY area, these sites may not apply to you.
Closings
In our area, there is a school-closing network where schools, daycares, libraries, and businesses can create accounts and log in later to post closing (or other emergency) announcements. This network feeds to all of the TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers in the area, so the information is consistent across all channels.
If you don’t want to wait for the information to scroll on TV or be announced on the radio, check your favorite local outlet’s website to view a list of closings you can scroll through at your own pace.
Accidents
Unfortunately, accidents happen. It’s easier to avoid existing accidents if you know where they are before you set out. This is where 511NY comes in handy.
The left menu offers options to enter a travel route and see existing alerts. If you want to make an account, you can get fancy and set traffic cameras to view live feeds in your account.
In the right menu, you can choose layers that show or hide incidents, camera locations, winter weather conditions, construction zones, and more.
You can use this site on a mobile device, but it’s much easier to navigate on a desktop/laptop.
Power Outages
National Grid is the power provider in our area, and they operate a site where you can see and report outages. They also provide progress updates and estimated restore times. Here is the outage central landing page for Upstate NY.
Click the “open map” button to start. Features include:
- Use the map icons to zoom, search, or change to satellite view
- Drag the map to see another area in upstate NY
- Click on an outage icon in the map to get more information, including how many people are affected
- Report an outage using the button in the top menu
Keep in mind that restoration times are only estimates, especially if the status indicates work is not yet in progress.
Precipitation Totals
As the snow kept coming and coming, I considered putting a ruler in the snow to get a total. But blowing snow is hard to tabulate.
I figured there had to be a site that shows live totals, and there is! Precip.ai’s map gives live precipitation totals for a given time period. I went with 24 hours to only include the snow in the current storm, but the filters on the left menu offer options to choose different time periods.
If your location is not detected, enter it in the search box. Hover over a spot on the map with your cursor to make the total precipitation pop up.
Paid accounts can also access historical data and other information, including soil moisture, wind speed, and temperature.
Summary
Winter storms can be stressful, but the right websites make it easier to stay informed about closings, road conditions, power outages, and snowfall totals. These tools can help you plan safely and avoid surprises. Try these local and regional resources to make navigating harsh weather more manageable.
