Welcomed Rain is Here

School Forecast
for Friday November 22nd
Last updated: 5:00AM Thursday November 21, 2024

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5:00AM Thursday:
Our first notable storm in weeks is currently moving through the region. As of 5AM, it is raining in Kingston. Local temperatures are currently in the low to mid 40s throughout Ulster County and about 0.20 inches of rain has already fallen. Wet snow is beginning to fall in portions of central New York. There have been no significant changes to the forecast for this storm.

Today:
Rain will continue throughout the day. Just over an inch of rain is likely by 12AM tonight, which would make this our wettest day since August 10th - over 100 days ago. This is just the 6th time this century that Ulster County has gone over 100 days without a one-inch rain day. Over the past 60 days Ulster County has had 6 to 8 inches less rainfall than we normally get this time of year and the region is currently experiencing a severe drought, so today's rain is very beneficial. Temperatures look to hold steady in the mid-40s.

Friday:
Tonight, rain will change to snow across parts of the region. Snow will mainly fall in the Catskill Mountains. Here in the Valley, temperatures should drop down to the mid-30s by early Friday morning. This should be just cold enough for some wet snowflakes to fall between 5AM and 10AM in the Kingston area. Temperatures should rebound to around 40 during the day on Friday causing any morning snow to change back to rain showers. All rain and snow showers should end by early Friday evening. Still expecting little or no snow accumulation in the Kingston area, but if temperatures end up slightly cooler than currently forecast there could be a light coating. The Shawangunk Ridge near New Paltz could see 2 to 4 inches of snow while the Catskill Mountains will likely see 4 to 8 inches.



Storm Impacts:
Overall, impacts from this storm look to be relatively minor in the Kingston area. With the rain, flooding is not a concern because of how dry it has been lately. As for the snow tomorrow, up in the Catskills out past Phonecia sticky wet snow could result in damaged tree branches and some power outages. However, here in the Kingston area no impacts are currently expected. The ground will likely be too warm and wet for any snow to stick to the roads. If there are any snow accumulations in the Kingston area, they are likely to be limited to cooler surfaces like grassy areas and cars.

School impacts on Friday will likely vary throughout the county. Districts in the Catskills (Livingston Manor & Margaretville) have a high chance of closing, some districts with higher terrain (Onteora) may issue delays, and many districts along the river and in the valleys (including Kingston) will likely have no school impacts.

Next Update:
At 10PM Tonight

-Ethan