Projected snowfall totals have dramatically increased for a major Nor'easter that will slam the region as the calendar changes from November to December.
Winter Storm Watches, in effect from 7 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 1 until 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, now cover Northern Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties in New York and Northern Fairfield and Litchfield counties in Connecticut.
After a dry and partly cloudy day on Saturday, Nov. 30 with a high temperature around 40 degrees, a wintry mix with rain and snow will move across the entire region Saturday night into Sunday, Dec. 1.
Snowfall accumulations will be limited south of I-84 on Sunday as the high temperature climbs to around 40 degrees. But farther inland, snow could be heavy at times during the day Sunday.
The heaviest snow from the storm will fall on Monday, especially in the counties where the watches are in effect. But even areas south of I-287 and the Merritt Parkway, including most of New York City, southern Westchester, coastal Connecticut and the north shore of Long Island, should see 3 to 5 inches of snow. (See image above.)
Farther inland, 5 to 8 inches of accumulation is now expected. Some areas north of I-84, including Ulster and Dutchess, could see 12 to 18 inches of accumulation.
The storm could linger long enough to affect the morning commute on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
"This will be a long, drawn-out event," the National Weather Service said in a statement released late Friday afternoon, Nov. 29. "There looks to be a lull Sunday night and although precipitation won't stop completely, there looks to be intermittent light snow and a wintry mix through the night.
"Steady snow will redevelop across the entire area for Monday, with moderate to heavy snowfall possible once again. Snowfall looks to taper off Monday evening."
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