The Saratoga Springs area forecast for the next 48 hours…

Today:

Tonight:

Behind the cold front, cooler weather will return for the mid to late week period and continue into the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a few bouts of the white stuff possible.

Here is the complete National Weather Service forecast for the next few days in Saratoga:

Today – Periods of rain. The rain could be heavy at times.High near 53. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday – Scattered showers, mainly after 5 pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday – A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

A weak frontal system will move through the region on Sunday night, but after the clouds and fog burn off on Monday morning, temperatures will rise into the upper 40’s to near 50 degrees. On Tuesday, things will get even warmer with all areas well into the 50’s, but clouds will be on the increase ahead of yet another cold front.

That cold front will move through on Tuesday night with some rain showers and temperatures will return to near seasonable levels in the lower 40’s to close out the workweek.

High pressure systems bring dry and mostly sunny weather with temperatures typically average for this time of year. This trend looks to continue through Sunday, and possibly even into the Thanksgiving holiday week with no major storms in the forecast.

There was an earlier threat for a coastal storm at some point next week, but that now looks to be fairly minimal as the storm will remain far enough out to sea to have no impacts on the weather in our region of upstate New York.

Despite the cold, the weather will gradually improve as high pressure returns to the region by late Saturday into Sunday with some sunshine and drier conditions returning. With recovery efforts continuing from Hurricane Sandy, some sunshine will certainly be welcome!

Stay tuned for another potential coastal storm which could be on the way by the middle of next week…more info coming later!

A High Wind Warning is in effect for the potential of strong and damaging winds from 9 a.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday. Wind speeds will strengthen rapidly Monday morning and will last through much of Monday night and into early Tuesday. Winds are expected to be sustained from the northeast at 30 to 40 mph, with gusts exceeding 65 mph in the valleys and 75 mph across the higher terrain. Strong winds will likely bring down trees and power lines with widespread power outages possible. Any loose objects will also be easily propelled into the air becoming flying projectiles.

A Flood Watch is in effect from Monday afternoon through late Tuesday night. Very heavy rainfall from Hurricane Sandy will lead to rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches in valley locations and 2 to 4 inches across the higher terrain, expect in the Catskills where up to 6 inches may fall.

Be sure that proper precautions have been taken for long duration power outages in the area.

With temperatures expected below freezing and the development of frost, the growing season will effectively end across the entire area. If you have any plants outside that you would like to save past tonight, it is advised that you bring them inside to protect them from the cold.

The good news is that this shot of cold air won’t last and we will warm back into the 60’s by Sunday. That comes with a price though, as more showers are in the forecast.

Note – A freeze warning is not in effect for the higher elevations of the Adirondacks because the growing season has already ended there.

Temperatures are expected to drop through the weekend with occasional rain chances, not the ideal weekend for leaf peeping around the region.

The chilly air mass behind the fronts will also threaten to bring a widespread frost to the region by early next week, potentially ending the growing season for many.

Yet another strong cold front will move through eastern New York on Saturday afternoon and will be accompanied by a round of showers and scattered thunderstorms. A few of the storms have the potential to produce some gusty winds, but the overall severe weather threat appears to be limited at this time.

High pressure will build back in on Sunday with cooler, drier, and breezy weather that looks to continue into early next week.

Also, keep in mind that fall officially begins on Saturday at 10:49 a.m. EDT.

This storm will bring a much needed soaking rainfall to the region with a widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain likely, and isolated amounts of over 3 inches possible in some spots. No river flooding is expected due to the recent dry conditions, but some poor drainage and urban area flooding is possible.

In addition to heavy rain, strong and gusty southerly winds will develop ahead of an approaching cold front on Tuesday afternoon, which will likely bring an additional round of strong thunderstorms into the evening and overnight hours with some isolated damaging wind gusts possible, especially to our south.

Much cooler and drier air will filter into the region behind the front by Wednesday and continue through the end of the workweek.