Winter Storm Watch Issued for Parts of Central New York

Up to 7 inches of snow is expected to fall in parts of Central New York on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Cortland, Chenango, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego, Otsego, Norwich, and Northern Fulton County.

The alert takes effect Wednesday, December 4, at 1PM and is set to expire 4AM Friday morning.

The weather service anticipates the areas could see up to 9 inches of heavy snow and winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour that could bring down tree branches.

The agency advises this could make the commutes on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning extremely difficult.

Snow is expected to develop Wednesday afternoon and continue into Thursday morning before transitioning to lake effect snow showers Thursday afternoon into Thursday night. Localized snow squalls may be possible Thursday morning, and gusty winds on Thursday may lead to blowing and drifting snow.

Also heading into the area is a clipper system that will pepper the region with gusty winds and "additional lake effect snow Thursday into Thursday night."

That system is currently tracking north of I-90, and will "overspread the area from west to east," according to the NWS.

The National Weather Service out of Albany is out with initial snowfall projections for Central and Upstate New York.

Read More: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Harsh CNY Winter

According to the service, Old Forge and Oswego will see the most snowfall with 8 inches currently forecasted.

Meanwhile, Utica is currently projected to see around 6 inches of snow, while the NWS says Syracuse will see slightly less at 4 inches.

The NWS also issued its "high end amount" prediction, putting the odds as a 1 in 10 chance of higher snowfall.

Watertown could max out at 13 inches, while Old Forge could get up to 14 inches. Meanwhile, Utica could receive up to 10 inches while Syracuse could see almost a foot of snow.

It should be noted North Country is encompassed within a big red band signaling heavy snow on the map, which puts snowfall projections between 18 and 24 inches.

Again, the odds are 1 in 10, but residents should prepare in case the maps trend in this very unwanted direction.

Snowfall amounts and impacted areas could change, as lake effect snow is notoriously difficult to predict since its track is entirely dependent on wind direction.

Meanwhile, adding to the messy weather will be an extreme cold snap that will send temperatures plummeting into the single digits by Friday.

Read More: Cold Blast Could Bring Record Low Temps to Central New York

North Country is in store for some bitterly cold nights, with temperatures sinking into the low teens starting Thursday.

The overnight low on Thursday will hit around 12 degrees, then sink into the single digits the following night.

The area will see overnight temps in the low teens throughout the weekend.

The Utica area will see nightly temperatures in the mid to high teens around the same period of time.

This could create the possibility of black ice and other driving hazards, so motorists are urge to decrease their speeds when traveling before dawn and after dusk.

Drivers should also increase their follow distance and add extra time for braking around stop signs and red lights, especially if its downhill.

Due to the extreme cold and expected heavy snow, residents are also urged to have these emergency supplies in their vehicles.

Townsquare Media will continue offering updates on the pending winter weather and snowfall amounts as they are announced.

Stay safe and warm!

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