ALBANY -- The new year is expected to kick off across the state with a snow storm.
Forecasters said the storm -- the second in as many days for parts of upstate New York -- will barrel eastward across the region in the early hours of New Year's Day, bringing up to 9 inches of snow to higher elevations. Areas that could see the most snow include the Catskills in New York, the Berkshires in Massachusetts and the Green Mountains in Vermont, according to forecasters.
The National Weather Service is predicting 3 to 5 inches in the Auburn area.
"A good portion of the Northeast is going to get in on this second storm," said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Frugis.
The holiday storm was to come on the heels of more localized storm that dumped up to 11 inches by Monday morning in the Albany area. Accumulations tapered off to 5 to 6 inches lower in the Hudson Valley.
With schools on break and many workers off for the holidays, the storm caused few disruptions. Roads were generally clear and uncrowded for the morning commute. There were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths or major injuries.
Albany International Airport canceled two early morning flights. Kingston, with 5 inches of snow, declared an emergency to clear the streets and Plattsburgh banned parking on city streets until Tuesday morning.
Albany, bracing for a double shot of snow, announced that its snow removal emergency will begin Tuesday night.
The early-morning storm Monday capped an especially snowy month for part of eastern New York. In December, 31.1 inches of snow fell in the Albany area -- compared to the average of 12.3 inches. The area weathered a series of early-winter storms to make it the seventh snowiest December since 1795.
The storm caused scattered power outages. At one point, as many as 3,000 National Grid customers were without power. In Ulster County, a maximum of about 1,200 customers lost power and 400 were still out as of 1 p.m., a spokesman for Central Hudson Gas & Electric said. New York State Electric & Gas reported about 1,000 customers without power at the peak of the storm and had restored all but about 50 by 1:30 p.m., said Mark Leta, regional operations manager.
In Saratoga Springs, 1,000 runners were expected to greet the New Year with the 10th Annual First Night 5K race despite a storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow overnight Sunday and into Monday. The race, run on the Skidmore College campus just a few miles from the city's historic thoroughbred track, has never been canceled, usually because Race Director Jeff Allen makes sure crews start cleaning the course immediately after a snowfall.
"Jeff never takes anything for granted," said Ray O'Conor, president and CEO at Saratoga National Bank & Trust Company, who has made the race a tradition. "He pays meticulous attention to every detail of every event that he organizes and it always shows. During the entire history of the race, I can never recall -- whether we've had snow, ice, sleet or hail -- a time when the race organizers, the department of public works and the people at the college didn't have the course ready."
O'Conor said the snow won't bother the die-hards who show up to the race, a benefit for the local YMCA.
"I think what happens on a day like this, is that runners are even more motivated and challenged to run," he said. "I'm not sure what that says about our mental makeup!"
The National Weather Service is predicting 3 to 5 inches in the Auburn area.
"A good portion of the Northeast is going to get in on this second storm," said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Frugis.
The holiday storm was to come on the heels of more localized storm that dumped up to 11 inches by Monday morning in the Albany area. Accumulations tapered off to 5 to 6 inches lower in the Hudson Valley.
With schools on break and many workers off for the holidays, the storm caused few disruptions. Roads were generally clear and uncrowded for the morning commute. There were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths or major injuries.
Albany International Airport canceled two early morning flights. Kingston, with 5 inches of snow, declared an emergency to clear the streets and Plattsburgh banned parking on city streets until Tuesday morning.
Albany, bracing for a double shot of snow, announced that its snow removal emergency will begin Tuesday night.
The early-morning storm Monday capped an especially snowy month for part of eastern New York. In December, 31.1 inches of snow fell in the Albany area -- compared to the average of 12.3 inches. The area weathered a series of early-winter storms to make it the seventh snowiest December since 1795.
The storm caused scattered power outages. At one point, as many as 3,000 National Grid customers were without power. In Ulster County, a maximum of about 1,200 customers lost power and 400 were still out as of 1 p.m., a spokesman for Central Hudson Gas & Electric said. New York State Electric & Gas reported about 1,000 customers without power at the peak of the storm and had restored all but about 50 by 1:30 p.m., said Mark Leta, regional operations manager.
In Saratoga Springs, 1,000 runners were expected to greet the New Year with the 10th Annual First Night 5K race despite a storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow overnight Sunday and into Monday. The race, run on the Skidmore College campus just a few miles from the city's historic thoroughbred track, has never been canceled, usually because Race Director Jeff Allen makes sure crews start cleaning the course immediately after a snowfall.
"Jeff never takes anything for granted," said Ray O'Conor, president and CEO at Saratoga National Bank & Trust Company, who has made the race a tradition. "He pays meticulous attention to every detail of every event that he organizes and it always shows. During the entire history of the race, I can never recall -- whether we've had snow, ice, sleet or hail -- a time when the race organizers, the department of public works and the people at the college didn't have the course ready."
O'Conor said the snow won't bother the die-hards who show up to the race, a benefit for the local YMCA.
"I think what happens on a day like this, is that runners are even more motivated and challenged to run," he said. "I'm not sure what that says about our mental makeup!"
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