Rain, Wet Snow, Gusty Winds Thursday: Hudson Valley Forecast

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Spring begins on Saturday, but around the region utility companies are prepping for wet snow and gusty winds starting Thursday.

Orange & Rockland officials said they expect to have to deploy the emergency response team to repair damage and restore electric service outages due to gusty winds and as much as 4 inches of snow predicted in the utility company's service area Thursday night through mid-morning Friday.

"The warm ground is expected to help offset any major impacts," said AccuWeather meteorologist Ryan Adamson. "However, even roads can get a brief, slushy accumulation during any periods of heavier snow. This is especially true for bridges and overpasses."

Cold air is coming in from Canada — again.

"At this point, it’s uncertain how far south the cold will make it before the moisture tapers off," said Alex Marra and Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. "But for the moment … it could be possible that we see some wet snow late Thursday night into Friday."

We do need rain — it has been a dry March so far.

The National Weather Service predicts:

Dutchess County: Chance of rain near 100 percent Thursday. Snow after midnight. Snow accumulation around an inch. Colder with lows in the mid 20s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Friday it will be mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds around 15 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

Orange County: Rain Thursday, then snow likely or rain after midnight. Total snow accumulation around an inch. Lows in the mid 20s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent. Friday, mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds around 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

Putnam County: Patchy fog in the morning. Rain. Highs in the upper 40s. South winds around 5 mph, becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. Rain or snow after midnight. Total snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Lows in the upper 20s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Friday, mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Cold with highs in the mid 30s. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

Ulster County: Rain Thursday, highs in the mid 40s. Southeast winds around 5 mph, becoming northeast in the afternoon. Snow after midnight. Little or no snow accumulation. Colder with lows in the mid 20s. North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent. Friday, mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of snow 30 percent.

Westchester County: Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain in the daytime, then rain or snow after midnight. Total snow accumulation around an inch in northern Westchester. Gusts up to 30 mph after midnight. Friday, mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning, then mostly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.