Enjoy that early spring-like weather while you can, New York, because severe winter weather is right around the corner.

Starting this weekend until at least Wednesday, January 1, temperatures will hit the mid-40s to the low 50s. After that, expect some big weather changes.

A massive arctic blast will hit New York by next weekend and forecasters say it has the potential to cause blizzard-like conditions.

Blizzard Conditions, And Snow Of Up To 12 Feet Expected In California's Sierra Nevada
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The Weather Channel's 10-day forecast indicates the Utica area will be back to the mid 20s by Saturday, January 4, while North Country will return to the single digits.

This, of course, stirs up the potential for even more lake effect snow.

How Much Snow Will New York Get?

Several weather models say January will be a snow-heavy month and Central New York could see its first flakes of the year on January 1.

The Weather Channel says North Country could see up to 3 inches of snow while the areas around Utica, Canastota and Little Falls area will see around an inch.

But that appears to be a taste of what's to come.

Snowstorm Hits Buffalo
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The first blast of snow is expected to start Sunday night, January 5, especially in the higher elevations like Boonville and Clayville. These areas could potentially see around 9 inches of snow, according to the long-term forecast from The Weather Channel.

The Global Forecast System, or GFS model, is tracking a potentially large storm that could bring severe snow and blizzard-like winds of up to 40 or even 50 miles per hour.

The long-range model indicates Central New York could see around a foot of snow by January 11 of next year. The model indicates North Country could see over 25 inches by then.

Sandy Spawns Blizzard Across Parts Of West Virginia And Maryland
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The good news is, nothing is set in stone yet because there is still ample time for the forecast to change.

WIBX has reached out to The Weather Channel about the potential for snow and severe storms in January.

ReadMore: 10 Retail Chains That Closed the Most Stores This Year

Until then, make sure that snow-clearing equipment is ready to go and stock those pantries with those winter essentials.

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