Early Winter May Pack a Punch for New York City

By , Meteorologist
Oct 11, 2011; 7:23 AM ET
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Last winter went down in history as one of New York City's worst with two monster blizzards that virtually brought the city to a standstill and made a nightmare out of air travel. In total, 62 inches of snow fell in the Big Apple last winter, making it the third snowiest on record.

Needless to say, residents may be a bit wary about this year's forecast.

While this winter is not expected to be as extreme for New York as last year, that does not mean the city will get by unscathed.

The AccuWeather.com Long-Range Forecasting Team has warned that there may still be one or two significant snow or ice events that could pack a punch.

"We're predicting snowfall to be slightly above normal this winter in New York City with a total around 33 inches," said Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather.com expert long-range meteorologist and leader of the Long-Range Forecasting Team. "Most of that snow will probably fall from December into January."

In other words, this winter is expected to be front-loaded with snow and cold weather, much like last year.

There may be stretches of mild weather during this December-to-January time frame, but overall, snow and cold will have a stronger presence.

By February, storm systems are expected to track a bit farther west through the Northeast than in December and January. As a result, storm systems will then be more likely to bring a mix of rain, ice and snow, rather than snow being the predominant form of precipitation.

Full Winter Forecast for the Northeast

Full AccuWeather.com 2011-2012 Winter Forecast

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Daily U.S. Extremes

past 24 hours

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High 107° Death Valley, CA
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WeatherWhys®

People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.

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