Hudson Valley Drivers Tempted to Remove Snow Brush, NYS DOT Says Don’t

The Hudson Valley's 2025-2026 Brutal Winter Season

There's no data behind this statement, but I think we could all agree...this winter season felt like the worst and longest winter we've had in a really long time.

Right?

First, we were slammed with bitter cold temperatures in December 2025 kicking off the winter season. Sure, as New Yorkers we should be used to that. To be fair, we've had pretty mild temperatures during the first weeks of winter for the last few years.

Then, the Hudson Valley was blanketed with snow the day after Christmas. 5-13 inches of snow fell across the region.

READ MORE: One Ulster County Town Just Out-Snowed the Entire Northeast

Next up was Winter Storm Fern which wrecked havoc across the east coast and blasted the Hudson Valley. Napanoch, in Ulster County, ended up with 30 inches of snow. That's the most snow in the Northeast.

Since then, the snow has lingered which has made it feel like the never ending winter.

NYS DOT Warns NOT To DO This Before Winter Ends

It's beginning to feel a lot like spring!

The National Weather Service is reporting that the week of March 9th, 2026, parts of the Hudson Valley will reach temperatures in the 60s. Those temperatures might even roll over into the 70s.

Spring doesn't officially start until Friday, March 20th. With that being said the New York Department of Transportation is warning drivers to avoid making one particular decision that could jinx everything.

The NYSDOT writes "we know you’re thinking, “Winter’s over. I can finally take this thing out of the back seat." They're of course talking about taking your snow brush out of the car. 

They add:

Don’t fall for it! It’s a trick!

Because every New Yorker should know the moment you remove that snow brush, winter immediately reminds us that it's not over with one more snowstorm.

Keep those snow brushes in the car until at least mid-April...just in case.

Revisit The Winter 2025-2026 Totals And Fun

Lets get the positive vibes going for Spring 2026. Put those warmer thoughts out there!

If you want to relive all the winter fun we had this year take a look at all the snow totals and fun that we've had the last few months below: