Revelers braved the snow brought by Winter Storm Benji for New York City’s annual pub crawl as SantaCon kicked off Saturday morning.
Thousands took to the street as meteorologists warned that up to four inches of snow could fall in the Big Apple.
Cheerful drinkers and Santa clones began their festivities at the Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue at 10am as flurries fell.
While the event ends around 7pm, a weather advisory has been set in place until 1am on Sunday.
The heaviest snowfall is expected between noon and 3pm, but wet flakes should be coming down into the evening before tapering off early Sunday morning.
Revelers braved the snow brought by Winter Storm Benji for New York City’s annual pub crawl as SantaCon kicked off Saturday morning
Thousands took to the street as meteorologists warned that up to four inches of snow could fall in the Big Apple
While the event ends around 7pm, a weather advisory has been set in place until 1am on Sunday
The heaviest snowfall is expected between noon and 3pm, but wet flakes should be coming down into the evening before tapering off early Sunday morning
The weather forecast likely won’t stop dedicated SantaCon goers – who have a reputation for making the most of the holiday tradition each year.
The holiday event takes place in as many as 380 cities in America and 51 countries, according to SantaCon.info.
Although it is held in several other locations around the world, New York is known to be the most widely celebrated.
Last year, police swarmed the city as thousands of people dressed in red, white and green crowded together early Saturday and continued the bash into Sunday morning.
Police received numerous complaints about disorderly conduct during the pub crawl in recent years.
While no arrests were reported in 2016, ‘100 summonses were issued to people dressed like Santa Claus for offenses falling into the disorderly conduct category,’ according to Patch.com.
These offenses include, but are not limited to: ‘peeing in public, being overly drunk in public and drinking on the street.’
Police say SantaCon goers who are slapped with tickets can expect to appear in court and pay hefty fines.
The weather forecast likely won’t stop dedicated SantaCon goers – who have a reputation for making the most of the holiday tradition each year.
The holiday event takes place in as many as 380 cities in America and 51 countries, according to SantaCon.info
Although it is held in several other locations around the world, New York is known to be the most widely celebrated
By the time the storm departs the Northeast, it will have laid down a blanket of snow 2,000 miles long from Texas to New England
For many, Benji is bringing the first winter snow. By the time the storm departs the Northeast, it will have laid down a blanket of snow 2,000 miles long from Texas to New England.
While only four inches are expected to fall in the city, meteorologists a swath of central Long Island and parts of coastal New Jersey could see six inches of powder.
Slick and icy conditions will also be possible on untreated roads later in the night as temperatures dip into the 20s.
Temperatures are expected to rise a bit on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with highs in New York City hitting the low 40s each day.
Then, on Tuesday, there’s another chance for light snow as another cold front moves through the region, plunging highs into the low and mid-30s through next weekend.
Benji first swept through the Gulf Coast Friday and hit Alabama and North Carolina (Pictured, Laura Washington shovels her walk after a heavy snow on Saturday, in Kennesaw, Georgia)
According to The Weather Channel the Highlands, North Carolina, received the most snow with 15 inches falling in the area. (Pictured, Jon Bookspun plays in the snow with this children Meghan and Charlie at Piedmont Park as a rare snowfall occurs in Atlanta)
Mak Malloy, 14, walks down Liberty Road on his way to the corner market store as snow falls on Saturday in Roanoke, Virginia
Traffic flows along Interstate 581 near exit 4E as snow falls on Saturday morning in Roanoke, Virginia
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said: ‘While a three to six-inch snowfall is most likely in New England, that sort of snowfall may extend all the way down to parts of New Jersey, Delaware, southern Maryland and central and southeastern Virginia.
‘Temperatures will be a little lower in New England, when compared to Virginia, but there may be just as much moisture available on a straight line from eastern Maine to southeastern Virginia.’
Benji first swept through the Gulf Coast Friday and hit Alabama and North Carolina.
According to The Weather Channel the Highlands, North Carolina, received the most snow with 15 inches falling in the area.
A foot of snow was recorded in Fairview, North Carolina, near Ashville, and Henderson and Buncombe counties in western North Carolina has seen 7-12 inches of snowfall in the higher terrain.