New Yorkers may soon see their first measurable snow of the season this weekend.
December snow in Central Park is a rarity in recent years. You have to go back to 2021 for the last time we got measurable snow there. Even then, it was only 0.2 inches. Average snowfall is 4.9, so we’re definitely living in strange times – thanks in large part to climate change.
This year, we actually have a chance for another tiny snowfall, and it comes early Saturday morning, as a quick-moving clipper system slides through the tri-state area. We don’t expect any big accumulations, but this will deliver snowflakes across much of the region, even in the city where, if freezing temperatures align with the arrival of the clipper, we could wake up to a dusting of snow on Saturday.
Slightly higher accumulations, on the order of 1 to 3 inches, will be found further north and west of the city where temperatures will be colder, allowing the snow to stick.
Overall, this should be a low-impact event for us both in terms of timing and intensity.
We expect rain to develop along the coast Friday morning. Farther inland, from northern New Jersey into the Hudson Valley where temperatures will be closer to freezing, there could be a mix of rain and snow. In the higher elevations of Northwest New Jersey, the Poconos and Catskills, we expect more of an all-snow event.
South and east of the I-95 corridor, temperatures will be above freezing, keeping all the precipitation as rain. But temperatures will be cool enough in North Jersey and up into the Hudson Valley that you’ll be seeing snow throughout the day.
The clipper doesn’t pack a lot of moisture, so rain and snow accumulations will be light. Snowfall should stay under three inches everywhere, and in most places under an inch.
Early Saturday morning, when the last batch of precipitation is pushing through the area, temperatures in the city, on Long Island and in Central & South Jersey will dip to freezing and we could actually pick up a dusting of snow. So if you wake up to a fresh, thin coat of white outside your window, don’t be surprised!
It may not be the grand nor’easter snow lovers are craving. But it will be an appropriate way to welcome the start of astronomical winter Saturday morning.
