The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Orange County and certain surrounding counties. The agency cautions that travel could become difficult and will impact the Tuesday morning commute.
If it comes to fruition, the snow storm will occur on the last day of February and will become the first plowable snowfall of the season. So far, only trace amounts to 2″ of snow have fallen during a few isolated events this winter. In those cases, rain mixed in and quickly melted the snow.
The anticipated snow storm comes just one week after temperatures exceeded 60 degrees for the third time this month. On February 15, 2023, temperatures soared to 67.2 degrees at Vail’s Gate Tower. On February 16, the temperature reached 63.8 degrees. On February 20, it topped out at 61 degrees. Two weeks prior, on February 4, it bottomed out at -2.2 degrees.
For now, the spring-like weather is over. A low pressure system will move across the Great Lakes while a secondary low is expected to develop off the mid-Atlantic coast. So far, this means snow inland and a wintry mix along the coast.
For Orange County, a Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. Periods of heavy snow are possible with total accumulations of 5-7″, according to the watch. As the forecast becomes more certain, the watch may be upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning.
For Ulster County, the watch is in effect from Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening. The watch calls for 5-10″ of snow, heavy at times, with wind gusts to 35 mph. The highest snowfall totals are expected in the higher elevations.
For Sullivan County, the watch is effective from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. It calls for 6-9″ of snow, heavy at times, with wind gusts to 35 mph.
No watches or advisories have yet been issued for many areas east of the Hudson River, including Dutchess or Putnam Counties. Although snow is in the forecast, the National Weather Service says downsloping from the mountains may minimize snowfall totals in those areas.
See the 7-day forecast, active weather alerts, live radar, and much more at The Newburgh News Weather Center here.
