New Yorkers could soon see the first measurable snow of the season this weekend.

December snow in Central Park has been a rarity in recent years. You have to go back to 2021 when we last had measurable snow there. Even then it was only 0.2 inches. The average snowfall is 4.9, so we’re definitely living in strange times – thanks in large part to climate change.

There’s actually a chance for another tiny snowfall this year early Saturday morning as a fast-moving clipper system moves through the Tri-State Area. We don’t expect large accumulations, but this will lead to snowflakes across much of the region, even in the city where, if subfreezing temperatures coincide with the clipper ship’s arrival, we could wake up to a layer of snow on Saturday.

Slightly higher accumulations, in the 1 to 3 inch range, will be found further north and west of the city, where temperatures are colder and snow will stick.

Overall, this should be an event with little impact for us in terms of both time and intensity.

We expect rain along the coast on Friday morning. Further inland, from northern New Jersey to the Hudson Valley, where temperatures will be closer to freezing, a mix of rain and snow could occur. In the higher elevations of northwestern New Jersey, the Poconos and Catskills, we expect more of a snow-only event.

South and east of the I-95 corridor temperatures will be above freezing, leaving any precipitation as rain. But in North Jersey and into the Hudson Valley, temperatures will be cool enough that snow will continue throughout the day.

The clippers do not absorb much moisture, so there is little accumulation of rain and snow. Snowfall should remain under three inches everywhere and under 3 inches in most locations.

Early Saturday morning, as the last of the precipitation moves through the area, temperatures will drop to freezing in the city, Long Island and Central and South Jersey, and some snow could actually fall. So don’t be surprised if you wake up to a fresh, thin layer of white outside your window!

It may not be the great Northeast snow lovers crave. But it will be a fitting way to greet the start of astronomical winter on Saturday morning.