More snow tonight and Christmas Eve for Upstate NY; Winter weather warnings issued

Syracuse, NY – Much of Upstate New York is likely to see a few inches of snow tonight and early Christmas morning.

“This should guarantee a white Christmas for most areas,” the National Weather Service said.

The weather service has issued winter weather advisories for Central New York and the North Country from 6 p.m. today through 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“Expect slippery road conditions,” the weather service said. “The dangerous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute.”

Snow could be heavy at times tonight, falling at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Fortunately, the heaviest snowfall is expected between midnight and 7 a.m., when there are fewer cars on the road.

“That midnight to 7 a.m. period could be a little tricky,” said Weather Service meteorologist Mark Pellerito.

By 7 a.m. snow will taper off, with the exception of a few light lake-effect showers downwind of Lake Ontario and central New York.

Most of the snow will come via a clipper, a fast-moving low pressure system descending from the Canadian Plains across the Great Lakes. Clippers bring wind, cold air and snow, but snow is generally limited due to the speed of the system.

After the snow, Upstate is expected to be a lock for a white Christmas, defined as at least an inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Christmas Day.

Albany already has 3 inches on the ground, and Syracuse and Buffalo each have 4 inches, according to the weather service’s numbers.

Today and Tuesday virtually none of that snow will melt, skies will be cloudy and temperatures will be below or slightly above freezing.

“If you have snow now, you probably won’t lose it, and you’ll have it by Christmas,” Pellerito said.