Will NYC see snow on winter's first day? Forecast, timing and predictions

NEW YORK CITY - Will New York City see snow on the first day of winter?

An incoming weather system could set up the Big Apple with a round of frozen precipitation during the final weekend before Christmas.

SNOWFALL FORECAST: TIMING l IMPACTS l SNOW TOTAL PREDICTIONS l RADAR

The leftovers of a fast-moving weather system coming out of Canada will move into the Northeast by Friday afternoon, bringing some of the ingredients needed for measurable snowfall. Meanwhile, a coastal low off the East Coast will bring additional energy spinning up off the Carolinas.

How these two systems interact could mean more or less snow for some. Three inches would likely be the high total of snow that could be produced from this event for the I-95 corridor, with the potential for a lot less, according to FOX Weather Meteorologist Jordan Overton.

"You sometimes get what's called an East Coast energy transfer, where you get the energy from the clipper system that almost gets absorbed into this East Coast storm as this thing rolls up the coastline," FOX Weather Meteorologist Michael Estime said.

When is it going to snow?

The snow will likely begin to fall on Friday afternoon and continue into the overnight hours. If there is any accumulating snow, it would likely happen overnight, when temperatures are the coldest.

"As we get to the back side of the storm, we pull down more cold air," FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods said. "There it is changing over to snow. Notice that's [Saturday] morning at 7 a.m. You might get a quick burst of light to moderate snow for a short while before it starts to shut down."

How much snow is expected in NYC?

Cities in the Northeast such as Boston and Providence could receive between 1 and 3 inches of snow, but New York City is less likely to experience any.

However, don't yet count the Big Apple out for snow. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar explained that the amount of snow New York sees depends on three ingredients.

"The timing of this is everything when you're trying to get a system like this on the I-95 corridor. How much moisture are we going to have in play? Where does that low set up? Where's the cold air? Those are the three ingredients," Minar said.

If things come together properly, there could be an inch or 2 of snow from New York City to Boston. 

Woods says New York City, Long Island and central parts of New Jersey will see a coating, but the more north you go, the higher chance of accumulation.

"We're definitely on that line of the rain snow mix," Woods said.

What comes next?

Following the quick shot of snow, temperatures will plunge through early next week into the teens and single digits across the Northeast before rebounding for Christmas.

When does winter start?

Winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday, Dec. 21, with the winter solstice – the day with the least amount of possible daylight and the longest night.

When is winter break?

Winter recess for New York City Public School students begins Monday, Dec. 23 and lasts through Wednesday, Jan. 1.

How much snow will fall in the NYC area?

FOX 5 NY's Nick Gregory predicts the city could receive around 20 inches of snow this winter, compared to the typical seasonal average of 28 inches. 

"We'll likely have above average temperatures this winter along with more snow than last year with somewhere near 18-23" but that is below the average snowfall for a winter in NYC," Gregory said.

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

Weather radar NYC

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