Chance For Substantial Snow In the Forecast For the Hudson Valley and Catskills?

As temperatures have remained around normal as the month of March draws to a close, April could be bringing some colder weather. Areas in the Hudson Valley caught a break from the clouds and rain, as sunny skies prevailed over the weekend.

However, a developing storm could bring heavy late season snow for many parts of New York state by mid-week. It's all going to depend on the track and strength of the storm, according to forecasters.

See Also: What's the Most Snow New York State Has Received in 24 Hours?

The National Weather Service in Albany says that March brought average monthly temperatures that were well above normal, with precipitation levels also above normal for areas near Poughkeepsie, as well as Albany.

April snow isn't necessarily the norm for the Hudson Valley, but it can happen. One such example was 2018, when an April snow storm brought several inches of snow throughout areas in the Hudson Valley.

Coastal Storm to Bring Heavy Snow, or Just Heavy Rain To the Hudson Valley? 

Low pressure is currently moving in from the west, which could bring severe storms across the Plains and Ohio Valley Monday and Tuesday. This front will eventually bring heavy rain and cooler temperatures towards New York state by late Tuesday into Wednesday.

That is the first part of the scenario. Hudson Valley Weather says a coastal storm will then develop Wednesday night, and head northeast towards the region.

This is where it gets very complicated though. HVW says the intensity and track of the storm will greatly determine if there is enough energy for the system to grow and dump big time snow Wednesday night. This could mean the difference between significant snow, or next to nothing at all.

There will be a lot rain though, according to ABC NY. ABC says that anywhere from an inch and a half to over three inches of rain could fall in he coming days.

While the GFS weather model suggests rain mixing with wet snow Wednesday night into Thursday. However, the Canadian and European models say there could be heavy snowfall potential, if the "coastal low intensifies quickly and tracks further southeast", says Hudson Valley Weather.

If the latter is the case, then meteorologists say snow accumulations could be substantial. Could this be a winter storm? HVW says that all has to do with timing, intensity, and a number of other factors.

See Also: Where in New York State Are You Most Likely To Be Hit By a Tornado?