This brutally cold weather stretch in the New York City area means business — especially with snow increasingly likely in the coming days. Thursday was cold and blustery around the Tri-State Area, with wind chills making it feel like the 20s — even the teens and single digits in some parts of New York,

New York City is poised for a wintry glow-up overnight, with several inches of snow forecast to fall across the five boroughs as Christmas draws ever near.

The five boroughs were placed under a weather alert for the weekend by the Office of Emergency Management on Saturday. It comes as the National Weather Service warns of

A weak-to-moderate winter storm will pass off the East Coast this weekend, and it should bring the New York City and other coastal areas in the tri-state their first measurable snow. It won’t be a blockbuster snow event,

The winter wonderland won’t kick off until around 9 p.m. — meaning SantaCon revelers have plenty of time to enjoy the annual jolly fete and 40-degree temperatures before taking refuge from the snow.

A fast-moving low-pressure system will bring snow to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, according to the National Weather Service. Tracking the snowfall, a timeline: Prepartions The Department of Sanitation has already begun pre-treating roads with brine and has more than 700 salt spreaders ready to deploy when the storm starts.

And while snow may begin to fall on the city as early as 7 p.m. Saturday, the steadiest snowfall is expected to come down in the overnight hours. At some point before 10 a.m. Sunday, snowfall rates are likely to reach half an inch per hour before 10 a.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.

New York City is expected to get its first measurable snowfall of the season Saturday night into Sunday. CBS News New York's Andrew Ramos and Craig Allen report.