A weak Alberta Clipper diving into the Great Lakes will interact with a coastal storm passing by to our east, and the result will be some periods of light snow showers on Friday.
Timing:
– 9am to 1pm : A period of light snow develops
– 2pm to 10pm : Periods of scattered snow showers
– 10pm to 8am Sat: Period of steady light snow likely
Impact:
– Temps in the low to mid 30s, snow should accumulate
– Some icy/snowy travel possible at times
– Uncertainty with exact area of heaviest snow
Snow Accumulations:
– Eastern Hudson Valley: Coating to 2″
– Western Hudson Valley: 1″ to 3″
A period of light snow should develop late morning to early afternoon, as the coastal low pressure begins to move NE. The nor’easter is too far out to sea to enhance the snow in our area, but a period of light to moderate snow can’t be ruled out during the afternoon hours.
But as the connection between the clipper and the nor’easter is missed, and the nor’easter moves away, the area of light snow should begin to fall apart and taper off into scattered snow showers during the late afternoon and evening hours. Cloudy skies with light snow showers are possible through the late afternoon and evening hours Friday night. So be alert to potential slick spots on roadways, as temperatures will hover near or below the freezing mark at that time.
*Wildcard : Inverted “Norlun” trough
Due to the weakening Alberta clipper interacting with the nor’easter off shore, an inverted trough known as a “Norlun trough” may develop. Think of it as a boundary connecting the two areas of low pressure. This boundary has upward motion associated with it, and can be quite unpredictable. Those underneath this boundary could see an extended period of moderate snow, and higher snow totals. This Norlun trough feature is likely to be just to our west, hence the higher totals forecast there. If this boundary shifts east, the Hudson Valley could see higher snow totals Friday evening. We’ll need to monitor this closely on Friday. As the boundary exits Friday night… another period of steady snow is likely near midnight, lasting into early Saturday morning. More updates shortly.