Spring Weather Could "Come in Like a Lion" in New York State

While Punxsutawney Phil is set to emerge and tell the country if it'll be an early spring or six more weeks of winter, meteorologists are putting together their own long-range forecasts.

Some, like The Old Farmer's Almanac use more traditional methods for their weather predictions. Other long-range models and outlooks can be quite complicated. Forecasters rely on these many computer-generated models, using many estimates and assumptions to predict future weather, says SciJinks.

But our atmosphere is changing all the time. Also, considering there is an El Niño in progress, that makes the future forecasts even more difficult to predict.

Spring Weather Forecast for the Hudson Valley

Both local forecasters, as well as The Weather Channel, are predicting a relatively quite pattern until mid to late February. However, things could start to get active by the end of next month.

AccuWeather Veteran Meteorologist and Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "We may have a pretty stormy pattern from late February to the start of March"

Pastelick says could It could "come in like a lion in the East", Pastelick's Facebook post indicates slightly warmer than usual weather for New York, and much higher precipitation.

Depending if the increased moisture in the air arrives early enough, this could mean a big snow storm or two for many areas in New York.

But while AccuWeather says the opportunity for snowstorms in the East will remain through the first half of March, the risk will soon diminish, bringing warmer temperatures by the end of March.

While the chance for snow will often linger in Northern and Western New York, areas like the Hudson Valley could see more significant rain by April. AccuWeather even says that areas from the mid-Atlantic to New England cold "expect an uptick in severe weather in May".

This range would more than likely include the Hudson Valley.