Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade continues today despite snow and forecasts that could make it the snowiest Syracuse parade ever.
Jeremy Robinson, commissioner of the city's Public Works Department, told Syracuse.com, at around 8 a.m. Saturday, the parade route was very clearly visible. Post-standard this morning.
He said there was no plowable snow on the way as the DPW staff repeatedly poured salt on the roads throughout the night.
Unfortunately, the heaviest snowfall is yet to come.
Overnight in the Syracuse area, between 1 and 4 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service. Snow will accumulate over the next few hours and will fall between 1 and 2 inches every hour. The Syracuse area is expected to see between 5 and 10 inches of deposits on Saturday.
Gusts of wind with gusts of 7 to 12 mph are also expected this morning, which will increase to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds can go up to 38 mph.
The annual parade is scheduled to begin at noon in Clinton Square.
There will be at least one plow dedicated to the parade route, Robinson said. If snowfall continues at the expected rate, a plow will likely drive the parade procession down the route.
The crew are currently working on putting up barricades on the roads and pouring more salt. Frequent plowing and pickling will have to be done to keep the route clean and safe, Robinson said.
"It's going to be difficult for us," he said. "Hopefully Mother Nature will take a break this afternoon."
Depending on the expected snow accumulation, this year's parade could challenge the record for the snowiest parade day, which was March 14, 1992, when Syracuse had 7 inches of snow.
Robinson said there's a lot of work to be done to tackle the ice. He said he was confident that the overnight preparations would help the parade go smoothly despite the storm.
The St. Patrick's Parade, held on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day (March 17), has always been one of the biggest annual events in downtown Syracuse.
It was canceled in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have never canceled because of the weather," said parade spokeswoman Bridget Dunn.