It's no joke. A storm packing rain and snow will move into the tri-state overnight, bringing a slushy 1 to 3 inches to areas north and west of New York City.
The spring snowstorm was expected to hit late Thursday and last into Friday morning -- April Fools' Day -- dropping up to a foot of snow in some areas including northwest New Jersey, eastern New York and around New England.
Residents in the city, nearby suburbs and along the coast could see the rain mix with wet snow by morning. Slushy accumulation on grassy areas and car tops is possible, but city dwellers shouldn't have to contend with much more than that.
About 30 miles west and northwest of the city, the rain will mix with and change to snow. About 1 to 3 inches of total accumulation is possible. Expect wet, slushy roads for the Friday morning commute.
Up to 8 inches with locally higher amounts possible in the higher elevations could accumulate further north and west of the city in the Upper Passaic, Sussex and Morris counties in New Jersey, and Orange, Sullivan, Putnam, Ulster and Dutchess counties in New York, forecasts show.
A winter storm warning is in effect from 10 p.m. Thursday to 12 p.m. Friday for Sussex, Warren and Morris counties in New Jersey. The warning applies to Orange and Putnam counties in New York and western Passaic County in New Jersey from midnight to 12 p.m. Friday. A winter weather advisory remains in effect for most of the tri-state area for the same period of time.
The anticipated storm caps a particularly brutal winter for the region, with many cities setting record or near-record snowfalls.
All of the winter weather clears out by midday Friday, just in time for the start of the weekend. The sun will come back out, leaving us dry and mild in the low 50s by Saturday.
As always, check back with NBCNewYork.com for the latest on severe weather alerts, school closings, snow totals, forecasts and all traffic information you need to plan your commute.
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