Syracuse, N.Y. -- The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Central New York as another storm brings a combination of rain, snow and ice.
“Snow, heavy at times Wednesday morning and afternoon, transitions to a wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain and rain Wednesday evening,” said the advisory. “Snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour will be possible at times.”
Roads could get slippery for both the morning and evening commutes. Making things worse, winds could gust to 40 mph, the weather service said, impairing visibility.
The advisory is in effect from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Two to 5 inches of snow could fall during the day. As temperatures rise above freezing in the evening, snow could change to freezing rain, which could lead to ice build-up on sidewalks, driveways and other surfaces that haven’t been treated with salt or sand.
The messy mix of rain, snow and ice could continue all day Friday and into Saturday. Winds should die down on Friday.
Central New York has had only a third of the normal snowfall so far this season even though there’s been above-average precipitation. More of that precipitation has fallen as rain this season because it’s been abnormally warm. January, the snowiest month in Syracuse, has been more than 8 degrees above normal.