Three day weekend confirmed 😉

Update #486b

Hi all!

A winter storm will impact the Hudson Valley on Friday. You might already be off from school, but, if not, you will be!

As the storm gets closer, details get clearer. Two days out, meteorologists typically have a pretty good idea as to what will occur, although finer details like precipitation type/mixing and accumulation still remain in flux.

This doesn’t detract from the overall message: Mother Nature will make a mess on Friday! ❄️ 🧊

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the whole region.

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Stay tuned for the final percentages on Twitter 📈

What? Snow, heavy at times, changing to sleet and freezing rain for parts of the region.

When? Snow starting between 12:00 - 3:00 am Friday, from west to east. A changeover to sleet and/or freezing rain is likely from south-to-north by mid-morning Friday, reaching to near I-84. Steady, accumulating precipitation will end by around midday Friday, but a light wintry mix will continue through the afternoon.

How much? In general, 6-12 inches near and north of I-84 (northern Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess) and 3-6 inches south of I-84 (southern Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Westchester). There may end up being a “buffer zone” of 6-9 inches in between, but I’ll reserve that level of detail for tomorrow’s update. A crusty, glaze of ice from sleet and freezing rain is likely on top of the snow, compressing it and making it more difficult to shovel, primarily near and south of I-84. Significant freezing totals are unlikely with snow and sleet the more dominant precipitation types.

Impact? School closures are expected. Non-essential travel is not recommended during the Friday morning commute as this will coincide with the worst of the storm. An easing of precipitation rates will likely allow road crews to get on top of things during Friday afternoon, with some improvement in conditions by the PM commute. Sub-freezing temperatures through Saturday will allow slick conditions to persist on untreated surfaces.

Predicted precipitation type, 2:00 am Friday

My final email update for this storm will arrive on Thursday morning.

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