Winter weather warning as 5 inches of snow may strike: “Hazardous”
A fast‑moving storm on the first day of spring is predicted to drop several inches of snow across northern New York and much of central and northern Vermont on Friday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a Winter Weather Advisory for the region.
Forecasters warn that the snowfall—expected to reach up to 5 inches in some areas—could make travel difficult and create hazardous conditions during the evening commute. The advisory, issued Thursday afternoon by the NWS office in Burlington, is in effect from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT Friday. Predicted snowfall totals are from 2 to 5 inches, with slick roads likely throughout the day.
Snowfall rates could reach up to 1 inch per hour for around a three-hour period Friday afternoon, NWS meteorologist Brooke Taber told Newsweek, although the heaviest snowfall will depend on the region’s elevation. The northern Adirondack Mountains and central and northern Green Mountains are expecting from 4 to 6 inches, whereas the valleys could see a dusting to 2 inches.
However, the snow will be wet, which will make it harder to shovel, Taber said.
The alert covers a wide stretch of northern New York—including St. Lawrence, Franklin and Essex Counties—as well as central, northeast and northwest Vermont, affecting communities including New York’s Lake Placid and Saranac Lake along with Vermont’s Montpelier, Stowe, St. Johnsbury and Newport.
Hundreds of thousands of people reside in the impacted area.
Forecasters say the timing of the predicted storm would be especially disruptive for drivers. Snow is expected to build through the afternoon and evening, creating slippery roads as temperatures fall. The NWS says the hazardous conditions “could impact the Friday evening commute,” and drivers are urged to slow down, allow extra travel time and use caution.
The heaviest snowfall is expected to drop from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., a post from NWS Burlington said.
“A series of disturbances will bring a mix of rain and snow to the region today into Saturday with additional rain/snow likely again Sunday and Monday,” NWS Burlington said in a post to X. “No significant rain or snow accumulations are expected.”
Motorists can monitor updated conditions at state travel sites, including NewEngland511.org for Vermont and 511NY.org for New York.
Aside from an avalanche warning in northwestern Montana, and an avalanche watch in northern Idaho, there are no other winter weather alerts in place across the contiguous U.S.
Extremely hot temperatures are plaguing the U.S. Southwest, prompting widespread extreme heat warnings and heat advisories across California, Nevada and Arizona. Temperatures are expected to remain above-average for the western two-thirds of the country for the immediate future, according to six- to 10-day temperature outlooks from the NWS Climate Prediction Center. During this same period, below-average temperatures are expected in the Northeast, at least through April 2.
