First winter storm of the season dumps snow on upstate NY

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Dec 2, 2025

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NEW YORK — The first major winter storm of the season struck upstate New York on Tuesday, with much of the region forecast to receive some significant snowfall by day’s end.

Precipitation from a “strengthening coastal storm” started falling overnight, first as a wintry mix, then as tendrils of snow Tuesday morning, at times falling at a rate of an inch an hour, according to the National Weather Service. While its not as fierce as past storms weathered by the region, it still created slick and dangerous driving conditions for the morning commute, and could also make for a “slippery” drive home in the evening hours, forecasters warned.

The snowfall was expected to peak around noon before it again turns into a wintry mix of ice and rain as the day goes on, meteorologists said. The precipitation should then start to taper off by 7 p.m. or so, but some isolated flurries could fall overnight in some areas.

With temperatures hovering above freezing, most spots “will be too warm for snow,” the NWS said on X, but not in Orange County, where residents could see between 3 and 5 inches. Western Passaic, northern Westchester, Putnam, northern Fairfield and northern New Haven Counties can also expect some snowfall, anywhere between 1 and 3 inches.

A foot or more of snow could additionally fall on hilltops and along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, according to the agency.

A winter storm warning — a serious alert warning of current or imminent hazardous winter weather — went into effect Tuesday morning and will remain through early Wednesday for an area spanning northeast from upstate New York to eastern Maine.

The rest of the tri-state area, including parts of New Jersey and New York City, should mostly expect to see rain throughout the day, with temperatures hovering in the high 30s. New York City has seen some flakes this year, but has not recorded any significant snowfall for the season.