The big weather news for the first full weekend of the new year is the deep Arctic chill that will be gripping the area. We should narrowly miss the core what would have been the first substantial Nor’easter of the season Saturday. The chill lasts through the beginning of next week when temperatures rebound back to above normal levels.

Rest of today – cold, with a mix of clouds and sun and a high temperature in the mid-30s. Wind chills in the low-20s.

Saturday – an uncertain scenario unfolds with the Nor’easter mentioned above. The one thing that is certain is that temperatures will be plenty cold to support all snow with highs only in the upper-20s. Two of the main forecast models continue to show a sizable spread in terms of how far east this storm tracks. This will ultimately determine whether portions west of Eastern Long Island see anything more than than a couple inches of snow. The cutoff between heavier snow and a light coating looks to be quite sharp also.

Sunday – overnight lows this weekend will be chilly, only in the upper-teens. Sunday, the wind picks up as the pressure gradient between the Nor’easter and high pressure building to the west increases. High temperatures will again only range in the upper-20s.

Monday – sunny, but still cold with a high temperature right around freezing.

Drought Update

Recent storms have brought beneficial rain and snow to the state and has helped alleviate some of the worst drought, while also staving off the redevelopment of drought in some areas. The cold temperatures have also been helpful in reducing evaporation from the soil. There’s almost no extreme drought left in the state, though most of Downstate remains in an area of severe drought.