Twin Tiers Brace for Cold, Wind and Snow

The National Weather Service is adding a Winter Storm Watch to the mix for the latter part of the weekend after days of warning about expected bitterly cold wind chills.

The National Weather Service has a Wind Chill Advisory for Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Susquehanna, Bradford and Wayne Counties and a Wind Chill Warning for Chenango, Cortland, Delaware and Otsego Counties from 7 p.m. January 14 to 1 p.m. January 15.

NOAA early this morning issued a Winter Storm Watch for Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Bradford and Susquehanna Counties for 5 p.m. Sunday, January 16 to 5 p.m. Monday, January 17 with the possibility of 7 inches or more of snow and winds gusting as high as 35 miles per hour.

For the Wind Chill Advisory and Warning, officials say the bitterly cold conditions could cause frost bite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.  In the Warning area, the wind chill values could dip as low a 20 to 20 degrees below zero.

Temperatures during the day Friday were expected to drop and keep dropping into the single digits and below zero by Sunday night.

Officials say in the warning area, there is additional concerns about pipes freezing during a prolonged period of very cold temperatures.

Anyone venturing out should wear appropriate clothing, including a hat and gloves.

Meanwhile, a system bringing a blast of precipitation is making its way eastward.  While the exact track of that system is still not certain, forecasters said heavy snow was possible.  NOAA says total accumulations of seven inches or more is possible and winds could gust as high as 35 miles per hour.  Those conditions will cause for difficult driving, not only because of the falling snow, but with reduced visibility from blowing snow.

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If there’s anything good about the approaching winter weather that’s bringing very cold temperatures and a potential for heavy snow it’s the timing of the storm.

With most schools off on Monday for the Doctor Martin Luther King Junior holiday and a number of businesses and services like garbage pickup on hold for the long weekend, officials will have a little less pressure cleaning up what could be up to 7 inches of snow.