NYC Precip Late Start Equates To Less Frozen Precip Action
Good morning everyone. Clouds have already re-entered the picture ahead of our broad and long-reaching system heading towards us. Many of the things we’ve discussed as far as scenarios are playing out, and our expected brief period of snow becomes even more brief in nature. Overall, this is not a big deal for the NYC Metro Area, but areas N&W of NYC could find a difficult commute tomorrow morning.
SATELLITE
Expect clouds to continue to roll in, and that first band of light precip essentially gets pushed to our south. That was important for those looking to get an early start on the frozen precip, so that eliminates the “best” chance for a quick coating.
Now we watch for the second round of precip coming in with the main area of low pressure later on. That will also start off as a brief period of snow or mix, then gradually change over to a cold rain late overnight. This is something we discussed a few days ago when this prospect was first starting out – the later the precip starts, the shorter the period of frozen precip will be. Little to no accumulation is expected, and anything that does occur will happen on colder surfaces.
Areas N&W are a different story. With cold air locked in and a more “friendly” system path for their area, most areas should see a general 2-4″ of snow. We could have some higher amounts in the higher elevations, but for the most part, 2-4″ is what this system is capable of. To complicate matters, in the lower Hudson Valley, there could be a thin layer of ice on top of the snow.
Look for highs today in the mid to upper 30’s, and aside from a scattered sprinkle, flurry, or sleet pellet, steadier precip will arrive between 9pm and 1am.
REGIONAL RADAR
Anything frozen turns to a plain, cold rain before sunrise tomorrow, and we’ll have on & off cold rain in the area for most of the day. Highs tomorrow in the mid to upper 30’s.
On Wednesday, we begin to clear out, but a reinforcing shot of cold air may bring a sprinkle or flurry as it moves through. Look for mid to upper 30’s again, but then the bottom drops out overnight.
LOCAL RADAR NEW YORK CITY
After a late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning in the upper teens, we don’t recover too well on Thursday during the day. Sunshine won’t do much and mid to upper 20’s will be it for the day.
Friday we modify a bit, but we’ll remain below average in the mid 30’s.
LOCAL RADAR PHILADELPHIA
So far next weekend is looking quiet, and that system may not materialize for the Cape Hatteras area. If it doesn’t, there goes any outside chance for a White Christmas. This was a “clipping” at best as nothing was expected to ride up the coast, but with nothing to work with, we won’t even get a dusting.
We’ll keep an eye on all of it and make changes as necessary. Christmas Day is drifting away from my mostly cloudy and average temp-wise forecast, and looking more sunny, windy, and cold unless anything changes. Either way, it’s looking quiet and commute-friendly.
MANY THANKS TO TROPICAL TIDBITS FOR THE USE OF MAPS
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