Drought-easing storm could bring heavy snow to hills in Upstate NY

Syracuse, N.Y. — A strong storm system will bring enough rain to much of Upstate New York to make a dent in the drought that has sparked damaging wildfires.
The storm is also likely to drop heavy snow Thursday night and Friday morning, but only on hilltops of 2,000 feet or higher, according to the National Weather Service. Some wet snow could linger into the weekend.
Up to 2 inches of rain could fall starting Wednesday across much of Upstate New York, parts of which have been bone-dry for months, according to the National Weather Service. That rain will help reduce the fire danger, but likely won’t be enough to end the monthslong drought in areas like the lower Hudson Valley.
Much of the state remains at high or very high risk of rapid spread of wildfires, including Central New York. A statewide burn ban is in effect until Nov. 30. Campfires. open cooking fires and brush burning are prohibited.
The heaviest precipitation is expected in Central New York and the Finger Lakes, which could see some lake effect snow or rain after the main storm moves through. Temperatures will likely be too warm for areas like Syracuse to see snow, but there’s a 50% chance that higher elevations like the Catskills will.
If the storm’s center of low pressure drifts farther east than currently forecast, more cold air could pour in from the north and bring snow to elevations of 1,500 feet, the weather service said.
“This storm has a big boom or bust potential with only a small change in surface low location,” the weather service said.
Some areas of Upstate New York could see their first measurable snowfall of the year, likely at higher elevations. The most likely time for that would be Thursday night and early Friday morning, the weather service said.
The storm will also bring high winds Friday and Saturday.
The combined precipitation from the rain and snow will be beneficial to drought-struck areas, the weather service said. Some areas of the Hudson Valley and Long Island haven’t seen any measurable rain since September.
The lower Hudson Valley has had less than half of the normal rainfall since mid-August. Poughkeepsie has had just a total of 1 inch of rain since Sept. 1; normally, it would have seen 10 inches since then.
Even an inch of rain would help wet the leaves and twigs that form the tinder for wildfires. Cooler temperatures as November progresses also help lessen the risk of fires.
One state parks employee died while fighting the state’s largest wildfire since 2008.