Winter Storm With Potential of a Half-Foot of Snow Bears Down on Twin Tiers

As of 3 a.m. December 14, the National Weather Service office in Binghamton had a Winter Storm Watch in effect from 10 a.m. Thursday, December 15 until 1 a.m. Saturday December 17.

According to the statement from NOAA, the storm system moving toward the area from the west was coming with the potential for heavy, mixed precipitation to close out the week.  The total snow accumulation possibility for the region was being estimated in the range of five to ten inches with ice accumulation of a light glaze.  Compounding the winter weather issues, the forecast was also calling for winds to gust as high as 35 miles per hour.

The Winter Weather Advisory for 10 a.m. Thursday through 1 a.m. Saturday included Broome, Chenango, Cortland and Madison Counties in New York as well as Susquehanna and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania.  The Storm Watch for Tioga and Tompkins Counties in New York and Bradford County Pennsylvania was for 7 a.m. Thursday, December 15 through 7 p.m. Friday, December 16 and the Winter Storm Watch for Delaware and Oneida Counties in New York was for 1 p.m. Thursday, December 15 to 7 a.m. Saturday, December 17.

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Snowfall accumulation estimates also vary along with the times in the different watch areas. While Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Tioga and Tompkins Counties were looking at a potential for five to ten inches, Delaware County's projection for snowfall accumulation was seven to fifteen inches.  Some wind gusts estimates were also scaled higher at up to 40 miles per hour.

For all of the Twin Tiers, the National Weather Service said the snow was expected to be wet and heavy with the potential to bring down tree branches and that could lead to scattered power outages.

Travel could also be difficult to impossible, impacting the morning or evening commutes Thursday through Friday and into Saturday for some areas.