Detailed Forecast

A stormy start to the weekend around the Hudson Valley, as our low pressure and cold front brought a soaking rain to the region Friday night into Saturday morning.

A widespread .75 to 1.5 inches of rain fell across the region with this system.  Head into the mountains, however… and it was a different story entirely.  Phoenicia had 3.5″ of snow, Windham recorded 11 inches of snow.  On the average, the areas that were under the ‘Winter Weather Advisory’ in western Ulster and Greene counties, saw 2 to 5 inches on average.

So in the wake of that system, the winds will crank out of the west on Sunday.  We’ll see partly cloudy skies in the valley, with mostly cloudy skies in the Catskills with snow showers.  Highs around the region will be in the upper 30s to low 40s in the valley, and low to mid 30s in the Catskills.  Conditions will remain rather tranquil for the next several days, as the pattern flattens out a bit.  A weak system pushes east on Wednesday, but it likely falls apart as it moves east.  As a result, we’ll likely see scattered snow showers Wednesday or Thursday… but its unlikely to be a ‘storm’ in the true sense of the word.  That could keep us quiet into next weekend.

Looking longer range, the pattern is trying to get worked out through the computer models.  The SSW (Sudden Stratospheric Warming) event is beginning to transfer its energy downward through the atmosphere.  Temps are looking VERY cold in Europe, but the US doesn’t see any sharp arctic outbreaks in the next week or two.  That doesn’t mean we won’t likely have chances at snow in the next two weeks, we surely will.  The question is, will everything come together for a storm to hit the east coast.  We’ll see, as we watch the pattern unfold.

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

We close out the week with a cold front approaching the Hudson Valley.  That will bring some unsettled weather to the region late on Friday and Friday night.

Futurecast Radar : 1pm Friday – 1pm Saturday

Clouds move in early on Friday, and will be with us all day.  A southeast wind will result in patchy drizzle in the lower Hudson Valley, and even some spotty wet snow showers in a few places, especially the Catskills.  As the front gets closer after dark, an area of steadier rain showers are likely to develop.  The steadiest rain is likely between 10pm and 6am… and it could even be temporarily heavy rain.  In the Catskills, where it’s a bit colder, we could see a period of wet snow… especially in the highest elevations.  We’ll have to see how much mild air mixes in across the Catskills, and if it changes over to plain rain there as well.  But several inches of wet snow are possible in western Ulster, western Greene, Sullivan and Delaware counties.  2 to 4 slushy inches appear likely… but as residents of those areas know, elevation and location can make a dramatic difference in what kind of weather you see.  For that reason, we’re not going to do a snow map.  These type of elevation based events are a bit wild in terms of who gets snow, and who doesn’t…  but the best chances of snow are higher elevations in NW Ulster, northern Sullivan and western Greene counties.

But for the majority of us in the valley, it’s a rain event, that could mix with some sleet and wet snow at the start.  The rain showers taper off on Saturday morning from south to north, which will then leave us with a mostly cloudy afternoon as we begin drying out.

Beyond that, things will quiet down for the rest of the weekend and into the start of next week.  We’ll keep our eyes on the pattern for the potential of any storms next week.  We have a few pieces of energy we’re keeping our eyes on, that could become storms mid and late week… but for the moment, nothing that appears very likely.

TGIF Hudson Valley… have a great day!

Ever since we turned the calendar to January, things have been rather quiet in the Hudson Valley.

The massive high pressure over Canada has been in place since the start of the new year.  The ridge has resulted in very warm air over the northern half of the US, and especially as you get near the Canadian border.  Temps in Minnesota and North Dakota nearly 15 to 20 degrees above average.  On the flip side, a deep upper level trough led to cold temps in the central US along with snow for much of the northern half of Texas.  But after 12 days… temps for the majority of the country are +/- 3° of average, which is not too terribly extreme.

As we look toward the end of the week, we’ll watch an approaching system to the Great Lakes.  Out ahead of it, it will spread clouds and scattered rain showers into the eastern US.

Futurecast Radar : Friday 1pm – Saturday 7am

Friday will be cloudy, with increasing areas of drizzle through the day, as our flow will be moist off the Atlantic Ocean.  By the evening hours, we should see areas of rain showers break out, and last through much of the night.  Scattered showers and spotty downpours are possible.  It will be breezy, but nothing like what we saw on Christmas Eve.  The strongest gust is likely to be in the mid 20mph range.  So while unsettled Friday night, it’s not looking too terribly stormy.

The rain showers will be with us into the morning on Saturday, before things gradually improve for Saturday afternoon and evening.  A breezy second half of the weekend is likely, but there is no blast of arctic air coming behind this system.  So temperatures will remain near to slightly above average in the region into the beginning of next week.

Looking at the longer range…

At the moment, there is no sign of an imminent winter storm threat.  The overall pattern is beginning to look a bit colder by mid week next week, and that could carry into next weekend.  The storm track looks to become more active, which could result in a storm or two developing.  But computer guidance has not been able to see any serious threat of a storm through the next 7 days.  We may have a storm system to contend with next weekend… which depending on the track could be rain or snow.  But as of now… there is no consistent threat appearing on the models.  We’ll continue to watch closely, and let you know if things begin to look a bit more promising.

Have a great Thursday!

A tranquil pattern over the northeastern US remains in place as we reach the end of the first full week of January.  While the first few days of the month were a bit active, things have quieted down considerably, as we have our chilly and tranquil pattern.  We have a storm system in the southeast that will pull out to sea Friday afternoon and evening, leaving the northeast quiet for the weekend.  The weekend looks to see lots of sunshine, a few clouds, and afternoon highs in the mid to upper 30s.  Overnight lows should fall into the low 20s, and maybe even some upper teens around the region

This pattern carries us straight into the work week next week, as it’s looking increasingly likely that the storm system next week will stay southeast of our region.  We’ve been tracking a storm system for the Tuesday/Wednesday time period next week, as it has potential for coming up the coast.  For now… it looks like the system stays south of us.  But with the overall pattern in place, we’ll likely have to keep our eyes on this all the way into early next week.  This pattern favors coastal systems, so any small change in the setup, could result in a big change in impact for the Hudson Valley.

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy through the first week of the year.  We’ll be keeping you up to date with any weather impacts on the Hudson Valley.  Have a great Friday!

A weak storm tries to come together over the mid Atlantic on Sunday, and as it looks now, it does not quiet become a significant storm.  Instead, we’re left with a rather minor, disorganized system… that still has the potential to cause some problems for our Sunday and Sunday night.

Timing:
– 11am to 3pm : Snow starts from SW to NE
– 3pm to 8pm : Steadiest snow expected
– 9pm to 1am : Snow ends from west to east

Impact:
– Temperatures 32° to 35° at the onset of snow
– Wet snow accumulation likely… even on paved surfaces, especially after dark
– Hazardous travel Sunday night likely, slick Mon AM commute possible

Snow Accumulation:
– Catskills, Mid & Lower Hudson Valley : 2 to 5 inches
– Upper Hudson Valley (Northern half of Zone 3 & Zone 4) : 1 to 3 inches

— Discussion —

Any time you have a storm trying to get it’s act together right over top of you, there is a high ‘bust’ potential in that storm.  This storm had 2 pieces of energy (an upper level low over the Ohio Valley, and a developing coastal low pressure), that were going to interact just soon enough to have a significant band of snow over the Hudson Valley.  Over the last 24 hours, we’ve seen a trend to keep those two features from interacting with the same intensity… and the result is a storm that looks less organized and less intense.

On the left is the model data from New Year’s Day.  Notice how there was a solid band of snow from Detroit to NYC.  The 1006mb low is tucked in near the tip of Maryland, and the system looks rather formidable.  On the right, is the model data from Saturday.  Just 24 hours later, the model depicts a storm that is weak and disorganized.  The precipitation shield is weak and broken, and the storm is weaker and further off shore.  This kind of development hints at the fact that this system is quite unpredictable.  This leaves a decent chance for error in the forecast.

Our forecast is based on the idea that the system is weak, but still organizes during the day on Sunday.  The snow shield will likely fill in on radar during the mid and late afternoon, and we should see a few hours of steady snow between 3pm and 8pm around the region.

Futurecast Radar for 9am to 11pm on Sunday

Despite being very disorganized early on Sunday… guidance suggests the snow really comes together by mid afternoon, so that a 2 to 4 inch snowfall occurs in the region.

Projected Snowfall per HRRR model

A widespread 2 to 4 inches would fall under this scenario, with the heaviest snow being west of the Hudson River and in the Catskills.  But this is significantly weaker than what was projected 24 hours earlier… so our concern is, ‘what happens if this trend continues on Sunday morning?’  We have some concern that the storm is even weaker than what is being projected above.  It’s possible the ULL (upper level low) is slower and weaker than projected… which would really limit the amount of available moisture.   If that happens, snow totals closer to 1 or 2 inches could be what we see.  At the same token… if the energy is stronger than currently expected, the snow totals could be on the higher end of the range, with 4 and even some 5 inch amounts being possible.

We’ll just have to monitor how it unfolds on Sunday.  Regardless, travel could be quite slick and hazardous Sunday after dark.  Make sure you factor that in to your plans.  We will try to update as frequently as possible on Sunday, to let you know if we think the data is trending one way or another.

Happy New Year, Hudson Valley!!  We hope that each of you has a wonderful start to a wonderful year!

Weather wise, things will get busy right away, as we have a storm system over the central US that will be pushing northward on Friday.  It will spread precipitation out ahead of it, along a warm front.  As that overrunning moisture reaches toward the Hudson Valley, we’ll likely have enough cold air at the surface, to give us a period of freezing rain and sleet all across the region.

Futurecast Radar : 5pm Friday – 12am Saturday

This loop runs from 5pm to midnight, and you can see that the freezing rain and sleet arrives right around sunset, in the lower Hudson Valley first.  But by 8pm, most of the region is seeing the frozen precipitation.  As a result, the entire region is under a Winter Weather Advisory.  Icy road conditions are possible all over the region, with the most hazardous travel expected in the Catskills, because that’s where it will be coldest, and the freezing rain should last longest in the higher elevations.  A glaze up to a tenth of an inch of ice is possible on untreated surfaces, so please use extra caution.  But as we reach midnight and beyond, temps should warm above freezing… and the freezing rain should change to a plain cold rain.

Futurecast Radar : 1am to 9am Saturday

Even by 1am, most of the region is already above freezing and a plain rain is falling.  It’s possible the cold air hangs on a bit longer in the traditionally coldest areas of the region.  There its possible the freezing rain lasts as late as 2 or 3 am.  But by sunrise… everyone should be a chilly rain, with temps jumping into the 40s on Saturday morning.  Travel on Saturday morning should be rapidly improving, so while you’ll want to use caution… you also should be OK for your Saturday morning plans, especially in the Hudson Valley.

Sunday Snow Threat

The potential for a snow event across the Hudson Valley on Sunday is looking more and more likely.  Here is the forecast weather map from sunrise on Sunday, through Monday afternoon…

If anything, the models are showing more agreement in the fact that a wet snowfall does occur around the region.  The timing appears to be Sunday afternoon into Sunday night… tapering off before sunrise on Monday.  We’ll focus a lot more on this potential on Friday, to try and give you the best idea possible of what to expect.  A busy weather weekend ahead.  Happy New Year everyone, and stay safe!!

By Thursday morning, the rain and wet snow showers associated with the cold front should be over, and temperatures should be holding in the upper 30s and low 40s around the region.  So that will allow us to divert all of our attention to tracking 2 weather systems.  One has the potential to be an icy headache Friday evening… the other, has the potential to bring a snowy Sunday surprise.

Friday PM Wintry Mix

A storm system near Chicago will have a warm front extending all the way to the east coast on Friday evening.  With that front, will be moisture overrunning cold air at the surface.  That sets the stage for sleet changing to freezing rain, and then to plain rain (especially in the valley).

Futurecast Radar: 7pm Friday to 5am Saturday

It’s looking more likely the moisture holds off until 6pm to 9pm around the region, but it is likely to begin as freezing rain and sleet for everyone north of I-287… with temperatures at the onset expected to be 30° to 32°.  Temps rise a couple degrees 32° to 35° across much of the valley… allowing the precip to fall as mainly rain from I-84 south by midnight… and by 3 or 4am for the rest of the valley.  The Catskills may remain mostly freezing rain, with temperatures pinned in the low 30s.  The moisture exits the region shortly after sunrise on Saturday… and conditions improve.  The worst issue Friday night, is for anyone who must travel after dark… you could run into some icy conditions.  So we will be sharing any updates as we get closer to the event.  The best bet, is to plan to stay off the roads if at all possible Friday night.

Sneaky Sunday Snow

This event is far from certain, but we have been sniffing out the potential for a few days now.  Computer guidance is becoming more and more interested with the potential for this storm system.

Northeast US Futurecast Weather : 7am Sunday through 1pm Monday
This view of New England shows a intensifying coastal low pressure moving northeastward on Sunday.  Snow overspreads the Hudson Valley and falls moderately to heavily for several hours, before tapering off by sunrise on Monday.  The timing is a bit different depending on the data you look at.  But if the scenario above were to play out, it would be a widespread 3 to 6 inch snowfall for the Hudson Valley.  The guidance shifts around the start time and the accumulation, as well as the temperature.  So we’ll need to monitor this closely.

Once again, when we look at the temperatures across the northeast compared to average… it’s very mild.

Projected Temperatures in the Northeast, Compared to Average:

These are quite warm temperatures around the entire northeast.  When you think of snow, you think of cold air, or at least air temperatures near average.  The relative weather pattern is quite mild, and yet here we are, considering the potential for snow on Sunday / Sunday night.  We will be monitoring the potential very closely over the next 24 to 36 hours.  We’ll keep you updated.

Have a great final day of 2020!  Happy New Year!!