The next couple hours will be very telling in regard to how much snow we see around the Hudson Valley from this system. The initial “burst” of light snow was the result of the approach of the coastal storm (well off shore). At this time, the coastal low pressure is moving away from us, which has caused the snow shield to diminish on radar over the past hour or so.
3:30pm Radar Loop (roughly 2pm to 3:30pm loop)
But as Todd indicated in the last radar update, that snow band is beginning to fill in once again. You can see that quite well on this radar loop as well, with the expansion and deepening of the blue colors over the Lower Hudson Valley and just to our southwest. This is the result of the atmospheric lift generated by the inverted “Norlun” trough feature we discussed last night. The exact position of this feature should become clear over the next several hours, as it sets up and stalls out for about the next 12 hours. What we should see on radar, is the snow begin to consolidate around that feature… and dissipate the further away you get. That means that areas further east, are likely to see less snow than areas further west. The closer you get to the NY/PA border… you may never see the light snow taper off…. while areas east of the Hudson River could taper off for 6 to 8 hours, before the trough pulls back through the valley late tonight.
What to Expect through Midnight…
Where the snow falls, we expect this snow to remain mostly light. Periods of on and off snow showers are likely as you head further east… while the chance of a more persistent, steady light snow exists closer to the NY/PA border. Temperatures will be near or below freezing region wide, so icy and snow covered roads are possible… please use extra caution! Additional snow accumulations during that time should be a dusting to
After Midnight into Saturday Morning….
As the trough slides eastward overnight, another period of light snow is likely between midnight and early morning on Saturday. With temps in the upper 20s, any snow that falls will accumulate, so icy & snowy road conditions are possible through mid morning on Saturday. Be sure to allow extra time to reach your destination if you’re travelling. Accumulations should be light… a coating to an inch or so additional, bringing the total “storm” accumulation anywhere between a coating to 3 inches (higher totals closer to PA, lower totals as you move east toward CT).
We’ll have more updates this evening… be safe out there everyone