Hudson Valley Weather: Storm May Cause Major Christmas Travel Problems

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Snow is likely out of the forecast for Christmas Day in the Hudson Valley, but there are chances throughout the region that there could be snow before the holiday weekend begins.

There’s little doubt that getting out of town Thursday and Friday — if that’s what you are planning — will be messy, for lack of a better word.

Meteorologists are calling for strong winds and plummeting temperatures from an arctic blast that will follow lots of rain.

The region is likely to be hit by a strong storm Thursday and Friday, with heavy rain and gusty winds. There's no doubt that could lead to travel delays at airports and create dangerous conditions on roads, according to AccuWeather forecasts.

Saturday will be partly to mostly sunny, but the high temperature will only be in the upper 20s.

"This storm will likely become intense, feeding on the extremely sharp variation between the surging arctic air arriving from the Central states and relatively warm air across the southeastern U.S.," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.

"Major East Coast storms over the decades have occurred in this type of setup, bringing the risk for heavy snow and rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding, severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes on the southern side of the storm,” he said.

If you are staying in the Hudson Valley for Christmas Day, you can likely expect mostly sunny to sunny skies, with high temperatures ranging between the mid- to upper 20s.

Here is the forecast for northern Westchester County through Christmas Day from the National Weather Service:

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
• Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Wind chill values between 15 and 20. Northwest wind around 8 mph.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
• Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 19. Light north wind.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Light north wind.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.
• Thursday: A 50 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.
• Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
• Friday: Rain. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
• Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 26.
• Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 14.
• Christmas Day: Sunny, with a high near 26.