Alberta Clipper weather system could bring snow to NYC

New York City’s run of mild weather appears to be headed toward an abrupt end thanks to an Alberta Clipper bringing cold weather and possibly snow down from Canada.
“Many areas across the Northern Tier will start the month of December with temperatures well below historical averages,” AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok warns.
City temperatures to start the month could be the coldest since 2019, when highs ranged from 36 to 42 degrees for the first five days of December, according to AccuWeather.
The National Weather Service defines an Alberta Clipper as a fast-moving, low-pressure system that rolls through the Midwest and sweeps over the Great Lakes, bringing with it heavy wind, light snow and low temperatures.
New Yorkers could feel the chilling effects of that weather front through Thursday, when moisture is possible. Fox Weather warns that parts of the state that have already seen some snowfall, like Buffalo and Syracuse, could have “several inches” of lake-effect snow still on the way.
While parts of New York are prone to snow, the coastline could see a mix of rain and powder. The shores of Connecticut and Massachusetts should also prepare for that blustery mix.
New York City appears to sit right on the cusp of where rain or snow could fall late Wednesday going into early Thursday, though New Yorkers are more likely to need an umbrella than a shovel. If snow does fall, accumulation isn’t expected.
The city saw its heaviest snowfall in nearly two years on Jan. 15, when 1.7 inches dusted Central Park. That broke a stretch of more than 700 days without significant snowfall, according to the National Weather Service.
In total, the Alberta Clipper rolling southeast from Canada could hit 16 states.
Sunday began what weather watchers call the “meteorological winter” as opposed to the commonly observed astronomical winter that begins this year on Dec. 21. Meteorological winter, which always begins Dec. 1 and lasts 91 days, is easier to statistically record with consistency.
AccuWeather predicts New York City will see as much as 25 inches of snow this winter as opposed to the 7.5 inches recorded last year.
Football fans watching the Buffalo Bills play in upstate Orchard Park on Sunday saw the results of a heavy snowfall that had already reached 5 inches by gametime. Flurries continued as the home team buried the San Francisco 49ers under slippery conditions.