'Near Blizzard Conditions,' Gusting Winds This Weekend

The National Weather Service has issued Winter Weather Advisories and Hazardous Weather Outlooks for Putnam, Rockland and northern Westchester counties from noon on Valentine’s Day to 1 p.m. Feb. 15.

The prediction is 4-6 inches of snow—and near blizzard conditions at times Saturday night.

Snow will start off light Saturday afternoon, along with a blast of arctic air. It will become heavy at times before tapering off Sunday afternoon. Considerable blowing and drifting snow with near blizzard conditions is possible Saturday night into Sunday morning as winds increase.

Impacts: dangerous travel due to snow and strong winds with near blizzard conditions possible. Strong winds may down power lines and tree limbs.

Those winds and plummeting temperatures caused by the strengthening storm will make for dangerous conditions to be outdoors throughout the Northeast, says Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist.

Still, we’ll probably dodge another bullet.

“A close call for the Hudson Valley, but it appears that the deep intensification of this storm will occur about 6 to 12 hours too late,” says Hudson Valley Weather. “The worst impacts of this storm (heavy snows and blizzard conditions), will be confined to New England, and possibly Boston yet again.”

Here’s the local forecast for Rockland County:

• Tonight-Partly cloudy this evening...then becoming mostly cloudy. Cold with lows around 4 above. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph... Becoming southwest after midnight.
• Saturday-Cloudy...snow...mainly in the afternoon. Snow accumulation around an inch. Highs in the upper 20s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent. Wind chill values as low as zero in the morning.
• Saturday Night-Snow. Total snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches. Windy with lows around 11. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph...becoming northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 90 percent. Wind chill values as low as 7 below after midnight.
• Sunday-Cloudy with a chance of snow in the morning...then partly sunny in the afternoon. Windy and colder with highs around 13. Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent. Wind chill values as low as 15 below.
• Sunday Night-Partly cloudy in the evening...then clearing. Windy and cold with lows around 3 below. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Wind chill values as low as 24 below.
• Washingtons Birthday-Sunny. Cold with highs 15 to 20. Wind chill values as low as 25 below.
• Monday Night-Partly cloudy. Cold with lows zero to 5 above zero. Wind chill values as low as 5 below.

MAP: accuweather.com