Old Man Winter collects his due

Rockland pummeled with snowfall, icy rain expected later
BY MICHAEL RICONDA

NEW CITY – Last week’s “historic” blizzard might have passed with little impact or fanfare, but this week’s snowfall might retain some of the impact promised before last week’s dud.

Preliminary predictions estimated anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snow for most of the Hudson Valley, with slightly lower figures further south in the New York Metropolitan Area and New Jersey. Like last week, the snowfall was lighter than expected, but totals remained high and prompted a similar closure of regional schools.

According to the National Weather Service, New City received 7.8 inches of snowfall by 6:35 a.m. Putnam County recorded 5.5 inches in Cold Spring, Westchester recorded its highest figure at 7 inches in Harrison and Greenville in Orange County saw a regional high of 9 inches.

New York City was largely spared the high snowfall of areas to the north, but not by much. 4.7 inches was reported in much of the region, with only 2.5 inches in Central Park. The Outer Boroughs reported similar or slightly higher figures as snowfall reached a high of 6.8 in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx and 5.2 inches at LaGuardia in Queens County.

In New Jersey, Bergen County recorded higher figures, with residents of Franklin Lakes in Bergen County reporting 7.5 inches. Connecticut, which was hit particularly hard last week, was largely spared when it saw only 2 to 6 inches statewide. Most counties reported 4 inches or less.

The snow will likely pass without much damage, but freezing rain in the early afternoon will likely precede a deep, windy chill in the evening, creating hazards with slushy, frozen roads. Temperatures could reach as low as the low teens in coastal areas and single digits further inland before rising for a drier, slightly warmer Tuesday.