UPDATE (3 p.m.Thursday) — This story was updated with additional information from the National Weather Service.
TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. — Tompkins County may get its first real snowstorm of the season Thursday. The National Weather Service says the county may see up to 12 inches of snow, plus sleet and some ice accumulation.
A winter storm warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Thursday until 8 a.m. Friday for Tompkins and nearby counties. The National Weather Service says the storm will bring heavy mixed precipitation beginning around 4 p.m. The area could see between eight and 12 inches of snow and some ice accumulation.
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The snow will develop mid- to late-afternoon Thursday and may turn into a mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow Thursday night, but will turn back into snow Friday morning. The timing of the storm could make evening and morning commutes difficult.
In a briefing early Thursday, the National Weather Service said the large winter storm will impact Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania. A band of heavy snow is possible between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday with one to two inches of snow per hour possible. At about 3 p.m. Thursday, the NWS said snow will start quickly and accumulate on roads this afternoon “making for a potentially dangerous evening rush.”
Once the snow starts, it will accumulate quickly on road surfaces. It says further, “road conditions are reported to be very hazardous where the snow has already started” in Northeast Pennsylvania.
The NWS said there are some uncertainties, such as a one- or two-degree difference could “lead to drastic changes in precipitation type, snow and ice amounts.”
The NWS advises people to monitor the latest forecasts for updates on the winter storm.