NEW YORK — The New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a snow alert for Monday morning as an icy, wintry mix is expected to move into the tri-state area at the start of the work week.

The alert goes into effect at 8 a.m. on Dec. 16, allowing the department to prepare for a possible response by loading salt spreaders, attaching plows and preparing tire chains and notifying other city agencies. Keep in mind, the alert does not guarantee snow will fall for sure.

The NYC Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert for Mon., Dec. 16 at 8 am. ❄️ Our salt spreaders are ready for any winter weather that comes our way. ❄️ Please follow your normal trash/recycling schedule; collection delays may occur during snow operations. pic.twitter.com/4tSRRVBDsa — NYC Sanitation (@NYCSanitation) December 15, 2019

While Sunday is dry for the city, as temperatures started to dip, even colder air returns to the area Monday, setting the stage for an icy mix later in the day.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for areas north and west of the city for parts of Monday and Tuesday, but so far there are no such alerts for the five boroughs.

UPDATE: Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for areas north and west of the city for parts of Monday and Tuesday. A light accumulation of snow and even ice is possible there. Coastal locations change to rain Monday, but stays icy inland. @PIX11News @stacyanngooden pic.twitter.com/jPaG0Rl4t4 — PIX11 Weather (@PIXweather) December 15, 2019

A potential winter storm is slated to get underway by late afternoon, with the snowy, icy mix expected to transition to rain by later Monday night.

That rain could become heavy at times. One to three inches of possible snow accumulation will likely get washed away by rain, which continues into Tuesday.

The rain should taper off by late Tuesday afternoon.

While things dry up after that, the colder temperatures are expected remain in place for the tri-state region for the rest of the week.

