National Weather Service predicts ‘multi-hazard event’ this weekend

KINGSTON, N.Y. >> The National Weather Service in Albany is predicting what they call “a multi-hazard event” this weekend with rain, snow showers and possibly river flooding, meteorologist Christina Speciale said Friday.

“So, windy, cold, snow showers on Sunday. I know today feels like spring and everybody’s like, oh, probably everyone’s got spring fever, if you will for today. But Mother Nature will remind us going into Monday

that winter’s not over yet,” Speciale said.

The prediction led Kingston Mayor Steve Noble to adjust the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade route on Sunday.

“There’s going to be a lot going on for the weekend. We have a pretty strong storm system that’s brewing in the southeast and it’s going to be tracking eastward into our region early (Saturday),” Speciale said.

The weather will remain calm on Saturday morning, she said, but later in the day, “the conditions will deteriorate with rain moving in.”

Rain is expected to be moderate to heavy Saturday night in the region, and could turn to snow showers on Sunday when “it’s going to be a little bit windy, and colder,” Speciale said.

The storm will bring “potentially heavy rain” Saturday night and will continue into Sunday with “a lot of cold air wrapping into the storm,” she said.

Very strong southerly winds could impact Hudson River flooding. “What happens with that is it actually leads to tidal flooding,” which is likely to impact the city, she said.

“Water from the Atlantic will be pushed up the Hudson River and that could lead to tidal flooding” in areas where the water levels are already high.

Some snow accumulation is possible in Kingston on Sunday although “most of Ulster County should see plain rain.” The higher terrain of the Catskills could see 1 to 3 inches, Speciale said.