Timeline: Zeta, Ice Storm Combo In The Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The remnants of Zeta (which made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a category-2 hurricane Wednesday) are racing into the Mid-Atlantic and interacting with the remnants of an ice storm from the southern Plains.

The result is a Hazardous Weather Outlook issued for Dutchess and Ulster counties because rain Thursday may mix with and change to wet snow overnight into Friday morning. Use caution if traveling.

The National Weather Service predicts up to an inch of snow in Putnam, Dutchess and Ulster.

Zeta carries the initial heavy rain, plus strong gusty winds which could result in some damages to structures and power outages, the National Weather Service predicts. The cold front will develop into a coastal storm, bringing another round of moderate to heavy rain — plus gusty winds —early on Friday.

Then there's the snow.

"We think temperatures will stay above freezing, which will keep any accumulations to the grassy areas … unless you go above 1500 feet and up into the Catskills," said the folks at Hudson Valley Weather. "That is where we could see a couple slushy inches, mainly in the Catskills and higher elevations. But even in the valley, if the wet snow falls steadily, we could see a slushy coating on the grass in the valley areas. We’ll have to see how things unfold as we get closer."

Halloween should be dry but quite cold. And don't forget the wind chill factor.

"High temperatures from northern New England to the mid-Atlantic will generally be about 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit lower than average for the last day of October," said Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist.

Here's an hour-by-hour look at the next 24 hours as "a hyperactive weather pattern will culminate today over the central and eastern U.S.," said the NWS.