Orange County A.R.E.S. / R.A.C.E.S.

11/01/2025

OC ARES/RACES is proud to participate in this annual event with New York State Police Troop T this Halloween on overpasses of theNYS Thruway Authority within Orange County as part of Orange County Emergency Services- NY serving as observations points.

Orange County A.R.E.S. / R.A.C.E.S.Utilized both voice and WinLink data capabilities to relay information from the field back to the County EOC without the use of the internet.

10/31/2025

The topic for today is National Weather Service winter weather
services.

The NWS issues two type of Winter Weather Watches...Winter Storm,
and Extreme Cold.

There are also five types of Winter Weather Warnings...Blizzard,
Winter Storm, Extreme Cold, Ice Storm, and Snow Squall Warnings.

There are also two types of Winter Weather Advisories...Winter
Weather, and Cold Weather.

Watches and warnings are issued for potentially life threatening
hazardous weather. Watches are usually issued 36 to 48 hours before
an event is expected. Warnings are usually issued up to 36 hours
before an event. Advisories are issued for less serious events up to
36 hours before they occur. Any of these alerts can be issued with
longer lead times if forecast confidence is high.

A blizzard warning will be issued for sustained winds or frequent
wind gusts to 35 mph or greater, and considerable falling and/or
blowing snow, frequently reducing visibilities below 1/4 Mile, for a
period of 3 hours or longer.

Snow squall warnings are short fused, meaning they are typically
issued with an hour or less lead time. They will be issued if a
heavy snow shower, accompanied by gusty winds and blowing snow, is
expected to cause a rapid drop in visibility to 1/4 mile or less and
plummet temperatures sufficiently to cause a flash freeze. These
short fuse events are usually associated with arctic cold frontal
passages, are quick moving and last for less than one hr in
duration.

Winter storm watches and warnings are issued for...

Heavy snow, when an average of at least 6 inches in 12 hours or 8
inches in 24 hours is forecast.

A combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain expected to cause
impacts similar to those of either heavy snow or significant
freezing rain.

Ice Storm Warnings are issued when at least one half inch of ice is
forecast to accumulate on elevated flat surfaces.

Beginning last winter season Wind Chill Watches/Warnings were
consolidated into Extreme ColdAnother round of locally minor coastal
flooding is expected with the high tide cycle early this Friday
morning across the south shore bays as water may not recede quick
enough with the flow becoming westerly.

No additional coastal flooding is expected elsewhere early this
Friday morning and through the weekend. Watches/Warnings. Extreme
Cold watches and warnings are issued when air temperatures and
sustained wind speeds are forecast to produce apparent temperatures
or wind chills of at least minus -15 for southern portions of the
area, and
-20 degrees for northern portions of the area.

Flood watches and warnings are issued for flooding of rivers, small
streams, streets and poor drainage areas. Heavy rain lasting at
least 6 hours and snow melt are usually a major cause of flooding.

Coastal flood watches and warnings are issued for widespread
moderate or greater flooding of shoreline and coastal communities,
with inundation of 2 to 3 feet or greater above ground level.

High wind watches and warnings are issued for sustained winds
averaging at least 40 mph for at least 1 hour, or for wind gusts
reaching at least 58 mph for any duration.

Advisories will be issued for lower amounts or values and cover
winter weather, freezing rain or freezing drizzle, wind and cold
weather which often relates directly to wind chills, and dense fog.
Note that beginning last season the Cold Weather Advisory replaced
Wind Chill Advisory where the apparent temperature or wind chill
criteria is now -5 for southern portions of the area, and -10 for
northern portions of the area. For additional specific NWS criteria,
access our winter weather web page at...

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OKX/WINTER

The next statement around 6 am Saturday will be a recap of winter
weather safety.

This map depicts a reasonable lower-end snowfall amount for the time period shown on the graphic, based on many computer model simulations of possible snowfall totals. This lower amount is an unlikely scenario with a 9 in 10, or 90% chance that more snow will fall, and only a 1 in 10, or 10% chance....

10/30/2025

OC ARES/RACES is proud to be participating in this annual event with New York State Police Troop T this Halloween on overpasses of the NYS Thruway Authority within Orange County as part of
Orange County Emergency Services- NY

🎃 Pumpkin Patrol is back 🎃

This Halloween weekend, New York State Police Troop T will patrol Thruway bridges and overpasses to keep motorists safe from dropped objects — including pumpkins.

Troopers will also target impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving. Let’s have a fun and safe Halloween! Thank you to the NYS Thruway Authority for your partnership in this initiative.

Read the full press release here: https://troopers.ny.gov/news/state-police-conduct-halloween-pumpkin-patrol-keep-motorists-safe-along-thruway

10/30/2025

The topic for today is winter floods.

Coastal storms can produce heavy rain, high winds, and storm surge
that can last for dozens of hours or even a few days. Strong onshore
winds will cause an abnormal rise of water above astronomical tides,
called storm surge. If the storm surge coincides with high
astronomical tides, it will likely produce coastal flooding. The
onshore winds are typically produced by a combination of high
pressure to the north and low pressure to the south. The strength,
duration, fetch of the onshore winds, the height of astronomical
tides, and coastal geography and topography are the primary
determinants of the magnitude and areal extent of flooding in
specific location.

A fairly recent high impact coastal flooding event occurred on Dec
22nd into 23rd of 2022, southeast to south wind gusts of 55 to 65
mph developed ahead of a rapidly deepening low pressure over the
Great Lakes region that slowly tracked into southeast Canada. These
high winds developed a storm surge of 3 to locally 4 ft, coinciding
with an astronomically high tide (Perigean spring tide) on the
morning of Dec 23rd. This resulted in widespread moderate to major
coastal flooding along our coast, with bayfront communities in
southern Nassau and southern Queens reaching water level experienced
during Tropical Storm Irene.

Persistent onshore winds and waves over several tidal cycles can
prevent waters from receding, particularly in bays areas, after high
tide. This is referred to as tidal piling, making tidal flooding
worse with each passing high tide. A slow moving storm and strong
high pressure to the north can amplify these effects. The historic
December 1992 noreaster was a prime example of this, causing
widespread moderate to major coastal flooding on 4 consecutive tidal
cycles, peaking with with widespread major inundation of 3 to 5 ft
for many coastal communities.

Coastal flooding can even occur for our most vulnerable coastal and
shoreline communities during otherwise quiet weather conditions due
to high astronomical tides. The highest astronomical tides, called
Perigean Spring tides, occur when there is a new or full moon
coincident with it being at its closest elliptical orbit to the
earth (Perigee). The quiet weather flooding can be exacerbated by a
persistent offshore low pressure system sending waves and piling
water along the coast. This occurred during the Halloween Nor'easter
of 1991 that was stalled well north and east of the area, but still
caused widespread significant tidal flooding under partly sunny
skies.

Heavy rainfall can compound tidal flooding impacts. The winter of
2023-2024 featured a few intense December and January storms that
tracked west of the region, bringing compound flooding from both
heavy rainfall and storm surge. Heavy rainfall caused widespread
moderate to major flooding of rivers, streams, and adjacent low
lying areas during these events, compounded by high astronomical
tides and 3 to 4 ft of storm surge, bringing widespread moderate to
major flooding for coastal communities and along tidal rivers.

Heavy rain and snow melt also pose a compound flood risk. Following
the blizzard of January 7th and 8th of 1996, strong south winds
brought in mild air causing rapid snow melt, which in combination
with heavy rain caused widespread severe urban, river and small
stream flooding, and many roof collapses.

Finally, for riverine adjacent locations north and west of New York
City, flooding can be caused by ice jams. As river flow increases,
water levels rise. Since ice that covers the rivers is lighter than
water, it will tend to float. Under the pressure of river currents,
this floating ice can then break up and move downstream until it
runs into an obstruction such as a bend, island, or wide shallow
area. When this happens the ice will often pile up into an ice jam,
blocking the flow of the river and possibly resulting in water
overflowing the banks and flooding areas adjacent to the river. The
pressure of rising waters can also break the ice jam and release a
sudden surge of water and ice downstream. While ice jams are not
unusual, it is nearly impossible to predict exactly when or where a
jam will form, or if and when one will break.

The next statement around 6 am Friday will cover watches, warnings
and advisories.

10/29/2025

The National Weather Service forecasts rain and wind heading our way. Secure your lawn and deck furniture and make sure your storm drains and gutters are clear of leaves.

10/29/2025

The topic for today is ice storms.

Freezing rain is liquid rain that falls when surface temperatures
are at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The rain freezes upon impact
with objects and the ground, creating a layer of ice. When the layer
of ice accumulates to at least one half inch thick on radial
surfaces, the weight of the ice can down tree limbs, power lines and
communication towers, and cause widespread impacts. This defines an
ice storm.

Even just a trace of freezing rain can produce a thin layer of ice
on roads, which can cause significant impact to mass transit,
especially if it occurs during rush hour.

Although ice storms occur more frequently from northern New Jersey
across the Lower Hudson Valley and interior southwest
Connecticut, they can occur along the coast.

On January 18th 2015, up only a trace to a couple tenths of an inch
of ice fell across the area resulting in widespread ice covered
roads, bridges, and walkways leading to hundreds of slip and
fall and traffic accidents. This was a result of several days of sub-
freezing temperatures, followed by a rapid warm up as a warm front
approached from the south. Even as air temperatures rose above
freezing, very cold ground temperatures still allowed rain to freeze
on contact with roads and walkways.

On February 1st and 2nd of 2011, between one quarter and three
quarters of an inch of ice fell across Long Island, the New York
City and New Jersey metro area, southern portions of the Lower
Hudson valley and southern Connecticut. Several roof collapses were
caused by the weight of the ice on top of already snow covered
roofs, while many tree limbs and power lines were downed, causing
numerous power outages. Ice covered roads also led to numerous
traffic accidents.

The next statement around 6 am Thursday will cover winter floods.

10/28/2025

The topic for today is heavy snow and snow squalls.

Heavy snow is defined as an average snowfall of at least 6 inches in
12 hours, or 8 inches in 24 hours.

A snow squall is a heavy snow shower accompanied by gusty winds and
blowing snow, which is expected to cause a rapid drop in visibility
to 1/4 mile or less and plummet temperatures sufficiently to
cause a flash freeze. These quick moving events are rare in our
area, but when they do occur can be life threatening, leading to
multi car pile-ups on high speed roads.

Coastal storms, also known as noreasters, can produce heavy snow.
They usually form from October through April along the coastal plain
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mid Atlantic coast. The combination
of low pressure moving northeast from those areas and high pressure
to the north can produce strong northeast winds.

Several significant coastal storms have brought blizzard conditions
to the region during the past decade...

On January 28 and 29 of 2022, blizzard conditions occurred over Long
Island and southern Connecticut. Snowfall totals ranged from 18 to
24 inches across eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut,
12 to 18 inches across eastern portions of the New York City metro,
western Long Island and south central Connecticut, with 6 to 10
inches across western portions of the New York City metro, including
urban northeastern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut. Whiteout
conditions occurred at times across eastern Long Island and
southeastern Connecticut due to the combination of 2 inch per hour
snowfall rates and wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph. Snow drifts of 3 to 4
ft were reported across these areas.

On January 4, 2018, blizzard conditions occurred over Long Island as
well as portions of New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, and
southern Connecticut. Snowfall totals ranged from 12 to 16 inches
across Long Island and southern Connecticut, 8 to 12 inches in New
York City, 6 to 10 inches across the Lower Hudson Valley, with lesser
amounts elsewhere. Near whiteout conditions occurred at times due to
the combination of 1 to 3 inches per hour snowfall rates and wind
gusts of 35 to 55 mph.

On March 14, 2017, a rapidly intensifying low pressure system
brought blizzard conditions over Long Island, portions of northeast
New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, and interior Southern
Connecticut. Snowfall totals ranged from around 1 to 2 feet across
the interior Lower Hudson Valley and interior southern Connecticut,
with amounts closer to 1 foot in northeast New Jersey.

On February 9th 2017, a rapidly intensifying low pressure system
brought blizzard conditions over Long Island, southern Connecticut,
and coastal portions of the Lower Hudson Valley. Snowfall amounts
ranged from 12 to 16 inches. These conditions brought delays and
cancellations to the regions transportation systems as well as
numerous accidents on roadways.

On January 22nd and 23rd of 2016, a low pressure system developed
across the southeast states and rapidly intensified as it tracked
along the Middle Atlantic coast. Snowfall amounts ranged from over 2
feet from northeast New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island to
around a foot across parts of the Lower Hudson Valley and southern
Connecticut. Blizzard conditions occurred across New York City,
northeast New Jersey, Long Island, and southern Connecticut. A
record 27.5 inches of snow fell at Central Park, which is the
biggest snowstorm since observations began in 1869.

On February 8th and 9th of 2013, a powerful blizzard brought
extremely heavy snowfall to much of central and eastern Long Island.
Snowfall rates up to 6 inches per hour during the evening rush hour
stranded numerous motor vehicles. Lightning and small hail also
occurred at the height of the blizzard. Snowfall totals of 18 to 34
inches occurred away from the immediate south shore of long Island,
causing partial roof, house and shed collapses. Brookhaven National
Laboratory recorded its biggest single storm snowfall ever, with
30.9 inches. Wind gusts from 45 to 75 Miles Per Hour combined with
heavy snow to down trees and cause whiteout conditions.

The last three winter seasons featured well below normal snowfall.
Last winter season featured only 12.9 inches of snow at Central
Park. The 2023-24 winter season featured only 7.5 inches of snow at
Central Park. The 2022-2023 winter season featured only 2.3 inches
of snowfall at Central Park in New York City, which was a record for
the least snowiest winter since record keeping began at Central Park
in 1869. These previous three seasons were well below the average
seasonal snowfall of 29.8 inches.

For a detailed list of significant storms and snowfall
amounts, visit our web page at...

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OKX/STORMARCHIVE

The next statement around 6 am Wednesday will cover ice storms.

Climate/Past Weather Local Past Weather Recent and Past Rainfall Local Normals, Extremes and Records Tropical Cyclone Reports

10/27/2025

The topic for today is winter weather preparedness.

Long term seasonal outlooks are issued by the NWS Climate Prediction
Center. The latest winter outlook indicates a slightly higher
probability of above normal temperatures than near or below normal
temperatures. With respect to precipitation there is equal chances
for above, below or near normal precipitation. Shorter term climate
factors, that are difficult to predict more than 1 to 2 weeks in
advance, will have significant influence on the weather we
experience as well.

National Weather Service field offices issue...

Hazardous Weather Outlooks...3 to 7 days before the onset of
potential hazardous weather...

Watches...usually up to 48 hours before the potential onset of
Hazardous weather...

Warnings and Advisories...usually up to 36 hours before the onset of
hazardous weather...

Last season the National Weather Service simplified its suite of
cold weather products. This will be covered more in depth on Friday.

Snow Squall Warnings (SQWs)...these are short fused, meaning they
are typically issued with an hour or less lead time. They will be
issued if a heavy snow shower, accompanied by gusty winds and
blowing snow, is expected to cause a rapid drop in visibility to 1/4
mile or less and plummet temperatures sufficiently to cause a flash
freeze. These quick moving events are rare in our area, but when
they do occur can be life threatening, leading to multi car pile-ups
on high speed roads. Impact-based Warning (IBW) tags are utilized in
Snow Squall Warnings, and WEAs will be limited to only those high
impact SQWs with the Snow Squall Impact tag of "Significant". This
improves the public response to SQWs by providing machine readable
information and issuing WEA alerts only for snow squall events that
pose a substantial threat to safe travel.

Otherwise, winter storms bring snow, freezing rain, sleet, flooding
and high winds. Occasionally, arctic air can move in behind winter
storms, resulting in a short or prolonged period of sub-freezing
weather. Be prepared before a storm strikes. Do you have adequate
supplies at home, at work and in your vehicle? Dress properly for
the season. Do you know what to do if you become caught in a winter
storm whether you are outside or inside a vehicle, or inside your
home? Does your family have a disaster plan?

The next statement around 6 am Tuesday will cover heavy snow.

$$

10/26/2025

...THIS WEEK IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK STATE...

Please join the National Weather Service and the New York State
Office of Emergency Management in promoting winter weather education
including safety.

Visit the NWS weather-ready nation winter weather web page at...
https://www.weather.gov/wrn/winter_safety and our local winter
weather awareness page at...
https://www.weather.gov/okx/winterweatherawareness

The NWS will issue a series of public information statements once
daily starting Monday October 27th around 6 AM. These statements
will help you gain a better understanding of winter weather hazards,
their impacts and how to prepare for them.

One information statement will be issued each day around 6 am.

Topics include...

Winter weather preparedness on Monday.

Heavy snow and Snow squalls on Tuesday.

Ice storms on Wednesday.

Winter floods on Thursday.

New simplified winter weather services on Friday, including the Cold
Weather hazards which was a part of the hazard simplification
process and replaced the Wind Chill hazards beginning last year.

Winter weather safety on Saturday.

These public information statements will be disseminated over NWS
communication systems including our web page and NOAA weather radio.
They will be issued under the World Meteorological Organization and
family of services product identifier NOUS41 KOKX.

The next statement will cover winter weather preparedness, and will
be sent at 6 am Monday.

Just like any other storm, the right combination of ingredients is necessary for a winter storm to develop. Winter storms derive their energy from the clash of two air masses with different temperature and moisture levels, usually a cold, dry airmass from Canada, and a warm, moist airmass from the G...

10/26/2025

Last week OC RACES participate in a cyber attack exercise with Orange County Emergency Services- NY. During this exercise all cellphone, land line phones and internet services were simulated down. RACES utilized its expertise, knowledge and skill sets to establish voice communication from key locations within the County back to the EOC. In addition OC RACES was able to utilize WinLink Peer to Peer to send and receive ICS and Hospital forms from location within the County along with messages to the State EOC in Albany.

10/24/2025

10/24/2025

A chilly morning across the area, with most spots seeing lows in the 40s and the interior and Long Island Pine Barrens dipping well into the 30s! Lows tonight through Monday night are forecast to be a few degrees colder.