Dec 21, 2008 8:42 pm US/Eastern
Storm Blows Across Upstate New York
ALBANY (CBS/AP) ―
A storm that ushered winter across upstate New York Sunday began winding down in the evening as it moved northeast across New England toward the Canadian Maritimes.
The National Weather Service reported more than six inches of snow fell on Albany by 5 p.m., while a foot fell on Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks.
Cold air kept lake-effect snow falling Sunday night on the Tug Hill Plateau and parts of western and central New York, and a storm warning remained in effect for northern New York until Monday afternoon.
SLIDESHOW: Winter Wonderland Hits Tri-State
Temperatures Sunday will reach a high of 37, and will drop below freezing to a low of 25.
Most of this system's heavier snow was north of the City, and most of the heavier rain was to the south. Addition accumulation was expected for the area.
"What we have in play in terms of precipitation right now: some flurries moving through the entire area. Now that goes for everyone from Morristown through the City all the way to Glen Cove on Long Island, and pushing into Suffolk County as well," Glaros said Sunday morning.
New York City was expected to get up to three inches of snow. South of the City may get up to an inch, and up towards Orange, Ulster, and the lower Hudson Valley, up to six inches may fall.
The Big Apple started seeing flurries at around 8 p.m. Saturday night, and a mix of snow and rain continued through Sunday morning.
"We'll vary back and forth between a rain-snow mix and pure snow throughout the morning hours before everything transitions to rain a little later on today," CBS 2HD meteorologist Megan Glaros said.
Temperatures reached a high of only 29 degrees Saturday, so New Yorkers bundled up when they were outside, especially with the winds gusting up to 25 mph.
Friday night's storm grounded hundreds of flights throughout the tri-state area, and even now is making travel dangerous. The snow turned to ice overnight, and road crews are working overtime during the final shopping weekend before Christmas.
"We're still dealing with what is left from all that snowfall that we picked up, and some of that is now frozen on the roadways," CBS 2HD's meteorologist Megan Glaros said.
"We don't want to get on any black ice and veer off to the side of the road," said West Caldwell resident Kirsten Rossatti.
CBS 2HD's Lonnie Quinn said New York City and Long Island saw a total of 4 to 6 inches of snow for most areas, with as much as 7 inches in the Bronx and Suffolk County Friday night.
"There was a significant accumulation in some areas," Glaros said.
During a noon news conference Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there were more than 2,000 workers on hand during the day to keep streets and sidewalks clear during the storm.
"If the snow accumulates as the forecast predicts, 100 percent of the city streets will be salted and plowed today," he said.
Snow began falling west to east through the morning hours with light accumulations. The first spotting of precipitation in the New York City area came shortly before 10 a.m. By noon, the snowfall began picking up in intensity.
Some areas of the city including lower Manhattan saw the snow change to sleet and rain during the mid-afternoon and early evening.
The heaviest precipitation fell to areas north and west of the city, where the northern suburbs of New York were blanketed with up to a foot of snow.
Precipitation was expected to linger through the night hours in the form of snow north and west and a mix back to snow south and east and along the coast. Light accumulations were expected during this time period.
Friday's storm is expected to be followed by another one on Sunday that may bring more snow, freezing rain and sleet to the region.
"There's another low pressure system around Kansas City and a system around Bismarck that are going to kind of merge and bring us our next storm chance," said Quinn. "It looks to be primarily snow, then it turns over to rain quicker than this particular system."
There is also the possibility of snow for Christmas Eve.
Forecasts:
Monday - High 29, Low 18
Mostly sunny and windy. Cold with highs in the upper 20s. West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Wind chill values as low as zero.
Tuesday - High 36, Low 29
Sunny start. Highs in the mid 30s. Mostly cloudy evening, with a chance of freezing rain. Light snow and light sleet after midnight. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Wednesday - High 47, Low 34
A chance of rain and freezing rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Thursday - High 47, Low 34
Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning, then partly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 40s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Weather Alerts:
Wind Advisory in CT - Northern Fairfield, Northern Middlesex, Northern New Haven, Northern New London, Southern Fairfield, Southern Middlesex, Southern New Haven, Southern New London
Winter Weather Advisory in CT - Northern Fairfield, Northern Middlesex, Northern New Haven, Northern New London, Southern Fairfield
Wind Advisory in NJ - Bergen, Eastern Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Union
Winter Weather Advisory in NJ - Bergen, Coastal Ocean, Eastern Monmouth, Eastern Passaic, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Somerset, Southeastern Burlington, Sussex, Union, Warren, Western Monmouth, Western Passaic
Wind Advisory - Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Northeast Suffolk, Northern Westchester, Northwest Suffolk, Queens, Richmond (Staten Is.), Rockland, Southeast Suffolk, Southern Westchester, Southwest Suffolk
Winter Storm Warning - Delaware, Eastern Columbia, Eastern Ulster, Western Ulster
Winter Weather Advisory - Eastern Dutchess, Northern Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Southern Westchester, Sullivan, Western Dutchess
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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