UPDATE: Snow Causing Dangerous Driving Conditions

Update 8:05 p.m. - Clarkstown Police Sgt. Glenn Cummings reported 16 accidents occurred in the town between 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today. He said they were all relatively minor with no serious injuries involved.  Deteriorating road conditions led to the closure of an uphill section of Westbound Route 59 in Nanuet at about 6 p.m. 

Sgt. Cummings said state highway crews were plowing and sanding the highway between Middletown Road and Hutton Avenue and it was possible it would reopen by 8:30 p.m.

Update 7:20 p.m. - Clarkstown Police report numerous accidents and disabled vehicles throughout the town. Crashes involved one-car accidents and multiple vehicles. Some vehicles slid off roadways. Extra staff was brought on duty to assist with highway conditions.

Sgt. Glenn Cummings said there were no serious injuries involved in any of the accidents. He said plowing and sanding is ongoing to help improve road conditions. 

Update 9:45 p.m. - Route 59 reopened to traffic around 8:30 p.m. It was closed for more than two hours.

Road crews began prepping for today’s storm in the early morning but it caught many drivers by surprise and has caused numerous accidents, disabled vehicles and traffic delays along Routes 59, 303 and 304.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts snow of one to three inches arriving before 8 p.m. Then it is expected to change over to a combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain between 8 and 10 p.m.  Precipitation could be heavy at times. Watch for patchy fog with wind gusts up to 37 mph.  Temperatures are expected to rise overnight with rainfall expected on Thursday. 

The NWS issued a Winter Weather Advisory, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Flood Watch until 6 a.m. Thursday. 

Police reporting accidents and spinouts across Rockland County including Route 59, Route 304, Route 303 at Kings Highway, New York State Thruway and Sickletown Road.