12/26/2025
Preliminary Storm Forecast : Friday 12/26 - Saturday 12/27
Arctic air is flooding southward this evening, providing the bitter cold air that will set the stage for a snowstorm on Friday for the Hudson Valley.
◾Timing:
- 2pm to 6pm: Snow develops from NW to SE
- 6pm to 12am: Period of heaviest snow expected
- 4am to 8am: Snow tapers off from NW to SE
◾Impacts/Conditions:
- Very cold... temperatures in the low to mid 20s.
- Snow becomes heavy shortly after start
- Snowfall rates of 2"+ per hour possible
- Travel conditions deteriorating very rapidly
◾Snow Accumulations:
- Majority of the Hudson Valley: 6 to 10 inches
- Eastern Catskills: 8 to 12 inches
(Banding of snow will result in locally higher snow totals, possibly near 12")
◾Forecast Details:
A wave of low pressure will push warm, moist air up over top of the cold Canadian air at the surface, and cause snow to develop and overspread the Hudson Valley Friday afternoon. The dynamics with this storm will be intense, with very strong upward motion in the atmosphere. This will result in very heavy snowfall rates developing shortly after the snow develops. At times, snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour are possible before midnight. This will make for very treacherous travel conditions, and conditions could get dangerous quickly. Once the flakes begin to fly, conditions will go down hill fast.
Air temperatures will be very cold as well... with temperatures in the upper teens to low 20s throughout the event. Ensuring that whatever falls accumulates on all surfaces. Expect snow covered and icy roads, throughout the entire region. There is a slight potential for the SW Hudson Valley (Orange and Sullivan counties) to see sleet mix in for a time, due to a slim layer of mild air about 7,000 feet above our heads. But our current expectations are that the entire region stays all snow with this event.
On average, a widespread 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected. Similar to Tuesday's snow event, some banding of snow is expected, which will likely result in some locally higher snowfall amounts, that could possibly exceed 1 foot. Those bands are unpredictable, so be aware of the potential for some spots to see slightly higher totals.
We'll be tracking this closely over the next 24 hours. We expect to issue the "Final" Storm Forecast Friday morning before 12pm, but we don't anticipate any major changes to this forecast.
