AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Albany NY
432 PM EST Thu Feb 6 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
A cold front will track through the region tonight,
bringing lake effect and upslope snow, cooling temperatures, and
gusty to strong winds through tomorrow. A brief period of regionwide
dry conditions can be expected during the day Saturday before
another storm system brings widespread moderate to heavy snowfall to
the region Saturday night through Sunday.
.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Key Message:
- High confidence for an impactful snowstorm Saturday night
into Sunday with a 50-70% confidence for Winter Storm Watch
criteria (>7") for the Berkshires, Litchfield Hills, eastern
Catskills, Greater Capital Region, Taconics and Mid Hudson
Valley and eastern NY 7 pm Saturday to noon Sunday.
Discussion:
Through Friday night, the most persistent lake
effect band will stretch off the long fetch of Lake Ontario into
the western Mohawk Valley, bringing 2-4" through Friday night.
The next in a series of winter systems will impact the forecast area
Saturday night through Sunday. Low pressure approaches from the
Ohio Valley Saturday night with a very strong low-level baroclinic
zone setting up ahead of wave. Strong isentropic lift occurs over
eastern NY and western New England for periods of moderate to heavy
snow to develop quickly, as the wave moves across PA and north of
MD.
Our confidence increased collaborating with WPC and neighboring offices
(WFO`s OKX, BGM and BOX) to place the Capital Region, Schoharie
Valley, and Berkshires south and east for a watch for 6-10" of snow
or at 7" or more for the event. We do have 5-9" further north, but
would like to wait another forecast cycle before expanding the
watch, just in case the fast moving wave takes a slightly further
southern track.
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Key Message:
- Active weather pattern continues throughout next week with daily
chances (50%) of snow after Tuesday.
Discussion:
Our active weather pattern continues through the long term period as
lake effect snow lingers Sunday night through Monday night across
northern Herkimer and Hamilton counties. Otherwise, dry conditions
briefly returns with a surface high pressure overhead for Monday.
Then our next impactful weather system moves through Tuesday night
into Wednesday morning.
Wednesday night into Thursday is being monitored as well for our
next quick moving impactful chances of snow across eastern New York
and western New England. Ensemble forecast models vary on the track
of the low pressure system, so snowfall amounts and timing will
shift with future forecasts and probabilistic guidance (with
widespread probabilities of 60 to 65 percent of greater than 1 inch
of snowfall) is hinting at a more widespread snowfall event compared
to the one Tuesday night.