WEEKEND WEATHER: How Cold Will it Get in the Hudson Valley?

Thursday evening brought an unexpected line of heavy thunderstorms through the Hudson Valley, which brought down trees and power lines across parts of the area. Friday will see colder and windier weather as we enter the weekend, but how long will it last? Is snow in the forecast by any chance?

Friday's highs will reach around 40, with partly cloudy skies and gusty winds. Lows will fall into the upper 20s overnight. Saturday will see a slight warm-up, with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-40s. Lows will be a bit colder though, with temps falling into the mid-20s. Highs Sunday will once again be in the low 40s, with partly cloudy skies.

Sunday night we'll actually see temperatures rise through the night, with lows in the 30s early in the evening. It will actually get quite unusually warm by Monday, according to The Weather Channel. Temps will rise from the 40s up to the low 60s by later in the day, with rain showers by the afternoon. This will signal a slight cool-down for a couple of days. However, TWC's extended forecast for next week is still calling for slightly above average temperatures for this time of year.

Some of the extended forecasts for the winter so far are a bit conflicting. While some, like the Old Farmer's Almanac, are saying we should expect near-normal temperatures and precipitation, other forecasts are calling for below-average temps and above-average snow. One big factor could be the return of La Niña. La Niña is a phenomenon that produces cooler than average water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean around the equator. It is not to be confused with El Niño, which is when warmer water temperatures occur in that part of the Pacific. Past La Niñas have produced colder, snowier winters across the northeast.