[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="495"] NOAA forecast for Tues., Dec. 9. (Courtesy noaa.gov)[/caption]

A Winter Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service in Albany remains in effect from 4 a.m., Tues., Dec. 9, through the morning of Wed., Dec. 10, for the greater Capital District, northern portions of the Mid-Hudson Valley, northern and central Taconics, the Berkshires and southern Vermont. Heavy snow, sleet and possibly freezing rain are expected, with a maximum snowfall rate of one to two inches per hour, and north winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph possible. The region is expected to get three to eight inches of snow; greater amounts are possible further north. Snow will develop by sunrise Tuesday, south of the Capital District and spread northward during the morning hours. Rain or freezing rain and sleet are then expected to mix with the snow, with a change to rain expected sometime Tuesday afternoon from the Capital District southward. Steady precipitation will taper off by sunrise Wednesday. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. is warning customers to be prepared for the possibility of severe weather overnight and throughout the day, Tuesday. The conditions predicted may cause trees and limbs to contact or fall onto power lines, causing electric service interruptions.