It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as New York City woke up Tuesday morning to a burgeoning white Christmas Eve.
The gift of a winter wonderland won’t disrupt tri-state travel for too long but definitely means drivers should use extra caution.
In a special weather statement set to end at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Accuweather forecast less than an inch of snow but enough to cause slippery travel conditions.
❄🎄Snow coming down well this morning in West Nyack, NY on the NY DOT Cams. Drive slow and safe this morning as untreated surfaces may become slick! Wonderful time of year to see snow, though. Snow duration should not last more than 1-2 hours with 1″ accumulations or less. pic.twitter.com/r7D4UW2rbM
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 24, 2024
The snowfall is expected to halt quickly by late morning through midday, after which New Yorkers can enjoy a slightly less frigid start to the holiday, when temperatures hit the mid and upper 30s, per the National Weather Service.
CBS News’ First Alert promised “minimal and quick” impacts to travelers, urging drivers to beware of slick spots as light snow coats New York City’s roads.
Snow showers were only predicted to last as late as 10 a.m. By 11, CBS reported the snow should be off the coast. Though most areas should only see up to an inch of snow, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties could all see 1 to 3 inches.
The roads looked plenty white and wintry in West Nyack shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to footage from local DOT cams. Though the snowfall was “coming down well,” NWS New York also urged locals against breaking out the sleds as the snowfall would only last up to two hours and bring in a maximum of about 1 inch.
Christmas Eve night is expected to be mostly clear but chilly, with light winds and temperatures ranging from the mid-20s to the 30 in the New York metro area, according to NWS.
As for Christmas Day, NWS predicts a sunny one in the city as well as Long Island, Northeast New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley and South Connecticut, with temperatures hovering in the low to mid-30s and, for the New York metro area, dropping to the mid-20s at night.
