Snow, Rain, Polar Vortex: Poughkeepsie's Work Week

, NY — An unusual arctic blast that will keep us freezing all week will push snow into the region Tuesday. However, a low pressure system off the coast may keep precipitation in the lower Hudson Valley as mostly rain.

"This type of arctic front… and the air mass behind it… is not one you see all that often," said Alex Marra and Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. "Latest guidance suggests that anyone from roughly I-84 on south has the best chance of mixing with and changing to rain. The warm air is all at the surface with this system… meaning freezing rain and sleet should not be an issue. The question is either snow… or rain. We’ll have to watch the exact position of this system in the next 24 to 36 hours."

The arctic blast that greeted us Monday morning is the precursor to the polar vortex which is swooping down on the Midwest then coming east later this week.

"Thursday can rival the cold blast from earlier last week as the harshest so far this winter along the Northeast’s I-95 corridor. The day can start with lows in the single digits from Boston to New York City to Baltimore with highs only in the teens or lower 20s," said Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist.

That's going to keep it really, really cold through the end of January. Yes, the end of January.

And Orange County is under a hazardous weather outlook for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service:

There is the potential for 2 to 5 inches inches of snowfall across the region Tuesday into Tuesday night. Light snow will develop late morning into the afternoon and will mix with or change to rain before going back to snow in the evening. The highest amounts are forecast across northern and western portions of the Orange County.

Here's what the NWS forecasts for the work week in the mid-Hudson Valley:

• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 31. Northeast wind around 6 mph.
• Monday Night: A slight chance of snow after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Tuesday: Snow likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Light southeast wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Tuesday Night: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 10pm. Low around 18. South wind 6 to 9 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Wednesday: A chance of snow before 7am, then a slight chance of snow after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 21. West wind 6 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -2.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 12.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 3.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 20.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 8.