New York City and the surrounding area won’t see a white Christmas this year — but a widespread snowstorm could arrive the next day, bringing several inches by the weekend.
Although Christmas Day will be dry and uneventful, forecasters are watching a system that’s expected to move into the area Friday, said Matthew Wunsch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“Chances of snow increase Friday afternoon, with widespread light to possibly moderate snow overtaking the area by Friday evening,” Wunsch said. Snow is expected to continue overnight before tapering off Saturday morning.
Snowfall totals and timing could change as the forecast is refined, Wunsch said. But as of Wednesday’s forecasts, most of the region — including New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley and much of New Jersey — is expected to receive between 3 and 6 inches of snow.
Unlike a storm earlier this month that hit Long Island harder, this round is expected to bring relatively even snowfall across the region, with only a modest west-to-east gradient.
Forecasters also expect temperatures to drop. Highs on Friday will likely reach the upper 20s to around 30 degrees before the snow arrives. Saturday temperatures should hover near freezing, with highs around 30 to 33 degrees.
“It will be pretty cold ahead of the system,” Wunsch said, adding that temperatures should gradually warm by Sunday and Monday.
There’s another potential storm on the horizon late Sunday into Monday, Wunsch said, though details remain uncertain. That system is expected to be warmer and could bring rain rather than snow.
Ryan Kost
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