NEW YORK CITY – Say it’s not snow. December has arrived in New York City. Are we ready for snow?

Jump to: SNOW THIS WEEK? l DECEMBER PREVIEW l WINTER OUTLOOK

Later this week, a winter weather event known as the Alberta Clipper will roll across the northern U.S. coast, potentially bringing snow to the Big Apple.

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“We are waiting for a clipper system to be introduced from Canada.” FOX 5 NYs said Audrey Puente. “This will move rapidly through the Great Lakes region, potentially producing some snow in our region by midweek.”

The weather event is expected to begin on Wednesday but will not reach the Northeast until Thursday.

According to the FOX Forecast CenterThe Alberta Clipper will bring a wide layer of snow, with several inches possible in areas already inundated with lake effect snow, such as Buffalo and Syracuse.

Forecast details will become clearer as Wednesday’s event approaches, but the system is expected to drop snow from the Dakotas into New England. How far south the snow extends depends on the temperatures in the northeast.

As usual, New York City is right on the edge of the forecast where there could be rain or snow.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said snowfall in New York City was unlikely because temperatures were not cold enough. The maximum temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday are minus 40 degrees.

“We know that the clippers lack moisture from the start. Cold air is much denser.

While some flakes may fall, they are unlikely to accumulate. But according to Puente, the chance of snow is greater this weekend.

“On Saturday we could see some snow showers here in New York City,” Puente said.

What is an Alberta Clipper?

This week’s snowmaker is caused by a weather system called the Alberta Clipper, a fast-moving low pressure system originating in Alberta, Canada.

“What we’re experiencing a little later this week is actually a larger storm system. It’s a fast-moving system.” FOX Weather said meteorologist Ari Sarsalari. “It won’t be very powerful, but it’s a clipper ship and that means it will drop snow over a fairly large area.”

“Typically we get about four, a little over four and a half inches of precipitation and almost 5 inches of snowfall a month,” Puente said.

FOX 5 NYs Nick Gregory predicts The city could receive all around 20 inches Snow this winter, compared to the typical seasonal average of 28 inches.

“We will likely have above average temperatures this winter and more snow than last year, at least close to it 18-23″, but that is below the average snowfall for a winter in New York,” Gregory said.

Meanwhile, the lower Hudson Valley could see a little more snowfall, with totals in between 20 and 25 inches, with more snowfall further north. Much of the winter can bring a mix of rain and snow along the coast, with heavier snow falling further north.

When will it snow in NYC?

Historically, the first measurable snow (accumulation of an inch or more) tends to fall around New York City December 13th. The earliest measurable snowfall was on October 29, 2011, when 2.9 inches fell just days before Halloween.

When is the first day of winter?

Winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on December 21st with the winter solstice – the day with the least amount of daylight and the longest night.

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