SARANAC LAKE — In a winter that’s provided no shortage of tricky travel situations for the Tri-Lakes region, road conditions look to be dicey once again Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service’s Burlington, Vermont office, which serves the area, is predicting that between 4 and 6 inches of snow will fall on Wednesday night and Thursday morning as an area of low pressure tracks across the area.
Generally higher snowfall amounts are predicted in the northwest Adirondacks and St. Lawrence Valley, while lower accumulations are expected in the Champlain Valley and areas to the east. The storm’s ultimate track, however, could shift as it approaches.
Although the overall accumulation isn’t exactly eye-popping, timing is key for this event. NWS Burlington Meteorologist Jessica Storm said precipitation may start as rain later this afternoon, as today’s high temperatures crest above freezing. As night falls, temperatures will begin dropping and precipitation is expected to become all snow by the evening.
Snowfall rates are slated to ramp up as the night goes on, and could reach three-quarters of an inch per hour in the pre-dawn hours on Thursday, with steady snow expected to remain ongoing throughout the early and mid-morning before tapering by noon.
While road conditions should improve for the evening commute, temperatures will continue to plummet, with overnight lows below zero expected Thursday night. Storm said wind chill values will likely be in the negative teens.