Massena Police and St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells and Mayor Tim Currier are advising village and county residents to undertake no unnecessary travel while the roads are hazardous because of the ongoing storm.

A similar assessment was made by Waddington Mayor Janet Otto-Cassada, who asked residents to only travel if absolutey necessary.

A Tuesday winter storm has dropped heavy snow, along with causing poor visibility and hazardous icy road, police said.

Massena Police say they remind residents to not plow snow onto sidewalks or across the roadways.

Police in a news release also ask residents to remind plow operators that it is illegal to cover sidewalks and plow across roadways.

“Department of Public Works staff will be working throughout the night clearing the roadways and are reminding vehicle operators not to park their vehicles on village streets,” the statement reads.

The police’s travel advisory does not restrict travel.

“However, very hazardous driving conditions exist throughout the Village of Massena,” the release says.

Wells’ statement:

“St. Lawrence County residents are advised that travel will continue to be hazardous and conditions will continue to deteriorate for the next few hours before improvements will be seen. The snow, freezing rain, and ponding of water where drainage has been blocked by ice have made road travel difficult. Caution must be used if you travel the roads in St Lawrence County. Ice accumulation seems to be at an amount that exceeds original forecasts. As the weather pattern turns from freezing rain back to snow there is expected to be an increase in the winds which may result in downed limbs and power lines. Be especially aware around bridges and other areas where drainage may have been compromised. Precipitation is expected to continue into the early morning hours of Wednesday. Highway crews, National Grid and other utilities are actively working all areas of the county and motorists need to be cautious approaching the work areas. Please be safe around our Police, First Responders and other emergency service workers.

There is an expectation of some area power loss and all residents should take precautions…If you lose power and plan on running a generator...make sure that the generator is located outdoors and is properly ventilated. Space heaters should also be properly ventilated and used only if they are operating properly. Make sure snow does not block exhausts and fresh air intakes for high efficiency furnaces and water heaters.”