Alternate-side-parking rules are in effect today and tomorrow.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the Big Apple that will be in effect through Thursday morning. With the storm not expected to touch down till later in the day Wednesday, the city has decided to put alternate-side-parking rules back in effect for Wednesday. Thursday is the big, slippery question mark for now. Check www.twitter.com/GridlockSam for the latest mass transit updates and ASP suspensions. Also check in with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or NJTransit for real-time train schedules going into Wednesday's afternoon rush hour and Thursday morning's rush in case things take a turn for the worse.

Here is Gridlock Sam's snow tip of the day: Park on the left side of one-way streets. Snowplows push the snow to the right.

Drivers heading toward the George Washington Bridge will run into some turbulence, with one lane on the exit ramp from the northbound Harlem River Drive to Amsterdam Ave. being closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Saturday morning.

One lane of the Cross Bronx Expressway in both directions over the Harlem River Drive will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Saturday morning.

One lane of the Bruckner Expressway eastbound at Castle Hill Ave. will be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

No ASP parking tickets in 2011: Make that your New Year's resolution with the new 2011 Parking Calendar, on sale now for $6 (plus $2 shipping and handling) at www.gridlocksam.com or by sending check or money order to Gridlock Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, N.Y., N.Y. 10012. Buy one calendar for $6, two for $10, five for $20 or 10 for $35.

FROM THE MAILBAG

Dear Gridlock Sam:

I was parked in Manhattan recently, and the muni-meter I went to use was out of order. Thus, I received a summons for an expired meter. What are the rules pertaining to out-of-order muni-meters? Can I have the summons dismissed?

Bill, Queens

Dear Bill,

Unless the ticket is defective, you're out of luck on this one. A standard meter governs only a single space with just one place to pay. When it is out of order, you may park at that space for the time allotted by sign. A muni-meter governs multiple spaces, and because there are several muni-meters to a block, there are multiple places to pay. So you can use any muni-meter on the block to pay for any space on the block. Next time, if one muni-meter on a block is broken, please use another one.

Gridlock Sam