Santas brave the snow! Thousands take to the streets of New York as four inches are expected to fall in the Big Apple thanks to Winter Storm Benji, after 2,000-mile-long blanket leaves 250,000 without power in the South

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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. 

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Revelers braved the snow brought by Winter Storm Benji for New York City's annual pub crawl as SantaCon kicked off Saturday morning (pictured)

Thousands took to the streets on Saturday (pictured) 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 (Pictured, left and right, a Santa kicks his feet up in the snow as SantaCon gets underway on Saturday)

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 (Pictured, SantaCon 2017 gets underway on Saturday)

The storm is expected to taper off on Sunday morning with temperatures rising to the mid-40s

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 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 say 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.  

Cheerful drinkers and Santa clones began their festivities at the Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue at 10am as flurries fell

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 (Pictured, SantaCon revelers on Saturday morning)

The 19th annual charity event has received disdain from many New Yorkers repulsed by the sight of Santas vomiting or urinating in the street in years past (Pictured, SantaCon participants on Saturday)

However, the NYPD reported zero arrests in the first few hours of SantaCon as the revelers began moving from bar to bar (Pictured, SantaCon participants on Saturday)

Unlike past years, this year’s pub crawl has no set route with organizers saying they hoped to avoid repeats of past incidents which have left the event with a bad rap (Pictured, a SantaCon participant in a reindeer costume waves his hand)

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

Flight cancellations spiked at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday afternoon after a winter storm brought heavier-than-expected snow to Atlanta with 815 flights canceled 

That number represented about one-third of the entire day's schedule at the airport with the number of cancellations more than tripling from the 165 that had been reported as of 11am (Pictured, a traveler makes his way to a vehicle as snow covers the parking decks at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Friday)

People walk down a snow covered road after a heavy snow on Saturday in Kennesaw, Georgia

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. 

Flight cancellations spiked at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday afternoon after a winter storm brought heavier-than-expected snow to Atlanta with 815 flights canceled. 

That number represented about one-third of the entire day's schedule at the airport with the number of cancellations more than tripling from the 165 that had been reported as of 11am, according to flight-tracking service Flightaware.

More than 250,000 customers across the South were left without power after facing snow from Benji. The number of outages is highest in Georgia, where utilities report more than 90,000 customers lack power, mostly west and north of Atlanta.

Another 68,000 are without power in the southern half of Mississippi, utility companies say, and nearly 63,000 customers are without power in southeast Louisiana.

Customers in hardest-hit areas might not get power until Saturday or even Sunday.

Members of the grounds crew remove a tarp from the field as snow falls before an NCAA college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday

Navy Midshipmen and Army Cadets gather on the field as snow falls ahead of an NCAA college football game between Army and Navy on Saturday

Navy midshipman practice a formation as snow falls before the start of the at the 118th meeting of the annual Army-Navy football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

Navy Midshipmen stand in formation on the field ahead of an NCAA college football game between Army and Navy on Saturday

Simone Askew leads the 'march-on' before the game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday. Askew is the first African American woman to lead the 'march on' of the Army cadets 

Askew stands at attention as she and members of the West Point Military Academy stand in formation ahead of the game. Askew is the first African American woman to hold the position of First captain of the Corps of Cadets

First Lady Melania Trump shared a photo on Twitter of the first Christmas snow falling near the White House

And the snow didn't stop First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner from going on their regular couple's weekend jog on Saturday morning (left and right). Secret Service followed the pair, who dressed warmly in black jogging pants and black running jackets

As the snow made its way to Virginia and DC, First Lady Melania Trump  shared a photo on Twitter of the first Christmas snow falling near the White House outlined by a wreath on the window, which she captioned: 'Beautiful morning'.

And the snow didn't stop First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner from going on their regular couple's weekend jog on Saturday morning. Secret Service followed the pair, who dressed warmly in black jogging pants and black running jackets. 

While Jared opted for a black baseball cap, Ivanka stayed warm with a black sweatband.

Snow in Philadelphia also didn't deter staff at Lincoln Financial Field from preparing for the annual Army–Navy college football game.

The match marks the 118th time the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York meet the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

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 between seven and 12 inches of snowfall in the higher terrain.