ICE NOT OF MAJOR CONCERN LOCALLY

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

Alright, my verdict is in. Ice is of little to no concern locally. My main reason now is timing of the arrival of precip. I think that the arrival of late morning to early afternoon at EARLIEST for areas south gives us enough time to heat up the atmospheric column. Surface temps are indeed below freezing, but marginally. It's not like we're coming out of single digit temperatures, that would be concerning.

But the possibility of limited slick roads does still exist in the coldest spots like the nooks and crannies in the Southern Tier hills. Coldest air tends to hide here, and this is the spot that will see rain earliest in the day. So, if you are traveling south through Wyoming or Livingston county and beyond on Christmas Day, the late morning hours are the time you should stay most attuned to the road. By the afternoon, all will be warm enough for rain only.

If you head east towards Albany and areas downstate, there is indications that a bubble of low-level cold air is getting locked in, which could mean some sleet or freezing rain there during the evening hours. Again, not a "major" concern, but it'll be a little more tricky that way late at night.

As you can see by the graphic, areas immediately to our west have it the worst. That's where the ice and snow will add up to critical levels.

Everyone have a great holiday! We'll be back tomorrow night with another update. Apparently this whole weather thing doesn't take a break for holidays!