Flooding Rain and Damaging Winds Possible For Hudson Valley & New York State
As the Hudson Valley and many parts of New York State dig out from this weekend's snowstorm, another storm is on the move.
The Mid-Hudson region received its first significant snow in quite a while, as many areas saw over a foot of snow by early Sunday. While some areas in Westchester may have gotten little to no snow, other parts of Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia, Sullivan and Greene Counties received 12 to 16 inches of snowfall.
However, meteorologists are already tracking a storm that could bring several inches of rain and gusty winds that could lead to widespread power outages by Tuesday. Some areas in the higher elevations could receive even more snow, say forecasters.
Another Storm On the Way
Hudson Valley Weather says that a "powerful low-pressure system" will move through the area Tuesday evening into Wednesday bringing heavy rain, snow in some parts, and gusty winds. HVW says that rain will begin by early Tuesday afternoon, with the heaviest downpours falling overnight.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch from Tuesday evening at 6 PM until 1 PM Wednesday afternoon.
There is also a Wind Advisory is in effect from 4 PM Tuesday to 7 AM Wednesday.
See Also: What is New York State's 24 Hour Record Rainfall Record?
The storm should begin to move out of the area by Wednesday afternoon
HVW says that 1-3 inches or more of rain could fall, with 2-4 inches of additional snow for the Catskills.
Strong winds will be a big problem, as HVW says that the area experiences a "long duration" of gusty winds, as winds will increase across the region Tuesday morning, and will last until Thursday morning.
Peak wind gusts of 20 to 40 MPH will occur Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon, with areas in the Catskills possibly getting gusts over 50 MPH.
Meteorologists say that areas that got the most snow will be at a greater risk for flooding, as the ground is already saturated from the past month. Also, temperatures are expected to warm into the 40s and 50s by Wednesday, causing a lot of the excess snowpack to quickly melt off.
This combination is what HVW says could lead to the "potential of widespread and significant flooding across parts of the region".
Latest Upstate New York Snowfall Estimates For January 6-7, 2024
Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff