Winter Ice Storm Could Make Travel ‘Nearly Impossible’ in Central New York

Be prepared for slippery road conditions in Central New York.

The latest storm may not bring a bunch of snow winter enthusiasts have been patiently waiting for. But it will bring ice; enough to cause power outages, tree damage, and make travel nearly impossible.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM Thursday, January 19 to 7 AM Friday, January 20 for Oneida and Otsego counties.

A wintry mix of freezing rain and snow is expected Thursday morning, before changing to rain for most areas by the afternoon.

The freezing rain will stick around a little longer across Oneida County and the higher peaks of the western Catskills.

The storm will only bring a couple of inches of snow but it's the ice that could cause problems.

Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible.

More Storms are on the Way

Once we make it past the latest ice storm, another system is expected to hit Central New York Sunday afternoon into Monday. The National Weather Service says accumulating snowfall is possible. And there could be even more snow on the way by the middle of next week.

Uncertainty is high and depends on the storm track.

Long Range Forecast

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow before 2 PM, then rain, possibly mixed with snow and freezing rain between 2 PM and 4 PM, then rain, possibly mixed with freezing rain after 4 PM. High near 33. New ice accumulation of less than 0.1 of an inch is possible. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.
Thursday Night: Rain, possibly mixed with snow and freezing rain before 8 PM, then rain between 8 PM and 1 AM, then rain, possibly mixed with snow after 1 AM. Low around 31. Little or no ice accumulation is expected. New snow accumulation of less than one inch is possible.
Friday: Rain and snow showers, becoming all snow after 3 PM. High near 37. New snow accumulation of less than one inch is possible.
Friday Night: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 11 PM. Cloudy, with a low around 25.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31.
Sunday: Rain and snow likely after 1 PM. Cloudy, with a high near 35.
Monday: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 32.