Quick-hitting storm drops snow, ice from New York to New England
A quick-hitting storm will continue to bring a mixed bag of wintry precipitation from parts of New York state to New England on Thursday. Some residents from far northern New York state to Vermont and New Hampshire woke up to light accumulations of snow ranging from 1-3 inches.
AccuWeather meteorologists warn that ice will build up in some places, causing slippery and dangerous travel. However, a dry weekend will be waiting in the wings for many.
The combination of a quick burst of moisture and just enough cold air made for slick conditions from parts of eastern upstate New York to central and northern New England Thursday morning. Videos posted on social media showed slushy accumulations on roads in some areas, while grassy areas were snow-covered for some.
Similarly, enough snow or a wintry mix will occur in parts of southern Quebec to cause some travel issues.
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Typically, ice tends to accrue on exposed surfaces in the valleys and in the higher elevations in the mid- to late winter. However, during the autumn, this is not always the case as the valleys tend to run significantly warmer than the mountains. During the autumn season, accumulating snow and ice tend to occur over higher elevations, where the air and surfaces are a bit colder.
"The setup through Thursday morning will likely bring freezing rain as the primary form of precipitation in the Adirondacks, Catskills, Berkshires and southern parts of the Green and White Mountains," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "These same areas may have a buildup of 0.10 to 0.25 of an inch of ice on trees and other exposed surfaces."
In the valleys from eastern upstate New York and interior New England, as well as some of the lower elevations near the New England coast, rain and pockets of sleet and freezing rain are likely. The spotty nature of the precipitation can add to the dangers for motorists since most roads may be wet, but icy spots will develop on some surfaces, especially bridges, overpasses and areas shaded from the sun.
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Throughout the zone from eastern upstate New York to much of Maine, some snow will fall from the quick-moving storm. Mostly snow will fall in central Ontario and southern Quebec, with a general coating to an inch or two of accumulation expected. Some paved surfaces in cities are likely to be just wet or a bit slushy.
Motorists should anticipate a slippery and slow morning commute on parts of the New York Thruway, the Massachusetts Turnpike and portions of Interstates 84, 89, 91, 93 and perhaps even I-95 in New England. There is the potential for clear ice to form in some of these areas, especially on the bridges and overpasses, which can be especially dangerous since it is difficult to spot.
For much of the southern tier of New England, only spotty rain or a passing shower is in store from the storm system and trailing cold front on Thursday.
Since the tail end of the front may stall for a time and allow a weak storm to travel along it, a period of mainly light rain and drizzle is likely from portions of Virginia and southern West Virginia to parts of Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey on Friday.
In the wake of this weak storm and light lingering rain, much of the Northeast can expect a dry and cool weekend. Temperatures will generally range from 5 to 10 degrees below the historical average. Typical highs during the second weekend of November range from the lower 40s in northern Maine to the mid-50s around New York City and the low 60s around the Chesapeake Bay.
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Hard freezes are in store at night for many areas away from the Atlantic coast and the shorelines of the Great Lakes.
A few locations in northeastern Ohio, southwestern Ontario, western and central New York and northern Pennsylvania may experience some brief showers of rain, soft hail and wet snow on Saturday afternoon and evening, but widespread precipitation is not in store for the Northeast.
For New York City, the weekend will be the second dry one in a row, following eight straight weekends with rain. There were a few sprinkles early this past Sunday morning, but not enough rain fell to wet the ground.
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The same system that swings through the twin tiers of New York and Pennsylvania may try to bring a passing shower to New York City and southern New England later Saturday night to first thing Sunday morning when many will be sleeping.
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