Photos: The Unusual Difference in Snowfall in the Hudson Valley

The first snowfall of the season looked a lot different for nearly every resident in the Hudson Valley.

Only several miles separated towns with massive snowfalls from towns with no precipitation at all. The 18-mile drive between the Town of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie looked like it passed through several different climates.

Unexpected Snowfall in Orange County, NY

Many Orange County residents woke up to a huge surprise this morning: piles and piles of heavy, wet snow. With multiple inches of accumulation and road closures across the county, it seemed like the entire region was covered... or was it?

Surprising Differences in Snow Accumulation in the Hudson Valley

Less than 10 miles north of Newburgh, Highland, NY showed little-to-no accumulation at all (below). What kind of weather pattern decided to so thoroughly confuse the Hudson Valley?

No Snow in Milton, NY

In the photo below taken on Peach Lane in Milton, NY, the edge of the snowstorm is visible. While there is accumulation less than a mile to the west, the conditions in Milton were simply wet.

It was an odd experience to see such varying degrees of snow in such a small area. While the Hudson River is often known as a weather-divider (Beacon residents woke up to hardly any accumulation at all, below), seeing such a diverse set of conditions in Orange and Ulster County was novel for many drivers.

There is still a small chance of snow in the Hudson Valley tonight, however a warmer weekend should mean that any accumulation will melt by the weekend. Still, residents can mark today as one of the strangest weather events in recent memory.