Hudson Valley Weekend: Storms Bring Rain, Snow Showers, Gusty Winds

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Back-to-back storms this weekend with rain and snow showers and gusty winds may affect local parades and pose a risk of flooding.

A hazardous outlook has been issued for Dutchess and Ulster counties, where heavy rain may cause some nuisance flooding in poor drainage areas Saturday night and rivers may rise again toward or just into minor flood stage late Saturday night into Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

On Saturday, moderate to heavy rains are expected to roll through the region beginning at about 7 p.m. and wrapping up about 2 a.m. Sunday. Total rainfall expected is about 0.5 - 2.0 inches. High winds, gusting as high as 35 mph, are expected as well.

On Sunday, a severe windstorm, packing strong northwest gusts as high as 50 mph, is expected to roar through the region about 8 p.m. and exit the area by around 4 p.m. Monday. That could lead to power outages.

"It’s an easterly breeze Saturday night which brings in coastal flooding. Sunday the winds transition to the west and by Monday it’s a strong gust from the northwest ushering in colder air," Bruce Furbeck of First Due Weather said on Facebook.

Heavy, wet snow in higher terrain including the Catskills and Taconics Saturday-Sunday could lead to snapped tree limbs and downed power lines as well, the NWS said.

Orange and Rockland Utilities officials said they were preparing to activate and deploy emergency response crews to repair potential damage and restore possible power outages.

Croton-on-Hudson village officials warned people using the Croton-Harmon Train Station that there is a possibility that flooding will affect the parking lot.

"Commuters are strongly advised to exercise caution and avoid parking spaces in Sections H and I, especially those in close proximity to the river. Flooding risks are higher in these areas, and taking preventive measures will help ensure the safety of your vehicles," they said.

These are two separate storms, AccuWeather meteorologists pointed out.

On Saturday, the first will pull warm air through much of the Atlantic coast, AccuWeather Meteorologist Joseph Bauer said. The system will tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and wring it out over the Northeast. Then Saturday night to Sunday, the second will dive southeastward from western Ontario and across the Great Lakes.

Heavy rain is likely to end abruptly in the mid-Atlantic on Saturday night, but because the air will turn colder much faster several thousand feet up, as opposed to near ground level, flurries could evolve into locally heavy snow showers and snow squalls Sunday afternoon and evening in northern New Jersey and much of New York state, said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

Changes in temperatures may make it feel like April on Saturday and February on Sunday, he said. "As has been the case with most chilly outbreaks this winter, the cold shot will be brief, with conditions forecast to rebound to or above the historical average by the middle of next week."

Here's an hour-by-hour look at the weekend, based on northern Westchester:

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