STAR DATE: JULY 8, 2025. TEMPERATURE DID NOT HIT 80 TODAY. IT WAS IN THE 90S YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS IN THE 90S A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE UP THERE. IT IS LOOKING HOT OVERALL THIS SUMMER. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER?
It’s July. It is WAY TOO EARLY to even ask a question like that. However, in the next few weeks (not months but weeks), folks will start to put out these crazy maps with crazy seasonal snowfalls like the 300″+ that BURIED parts of Tug Hill this past winter!
It was nice to see an old fashioned winter. It was nice to see the most legitimate snow in a decade, since 2014-15. It was nice to see folks just get buried. We still feel horrible for all of the businesses, organizations, and homeowners who had losses as a result of roof collapses from all the heavy snow, especially in February. Then March came, it got warm and all the snow went away in 2 weeks. Literally a few hundred inches of snow in some areas. Gone. Then in late March and in April, Mother Nature said “I’m not done yet”! This even continued into MAY! Even AFTER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, we had major below normal temperatures and cold snaps. It seemed summer would never get here.
Then June came. Then the sun showed up. Then we had a few dry days here and there. Then the thermometer shot skyward into the 90s in late June with a few folks in Upstate NY actually touching 100 degrees for an actual air temperature! Like Plattsburgh (100), Kingston (103), Poughkeepsie (102) and Newburgh (100). That Plattsburgh temperature was the ALL TIME HIGH! Only time ever to actually hit 100.
Now in July after a few days back in the 90s, it has cooled off once again. Some sun tomorrow (Wednesday). A chance of rain and thunderstorms (Thursday) then it starts to warm up again. Mid to Upper 80s this weekend. A few locations will touch 90. Another threat for this next week as well. Looking at the 8-14 day and the 3-4 week maps, looks like nothing will stop this anytime soon. So prepare for OVERTIME with your A/C and/or your FANS. You will need it.
What’s next? Later this month and into August, you’ll start seeing everyone screaming about how bad next winter will be. It is all for clicks. It is all for bait. Please don’t fall for it. It is all the same thing. Get you all excited for SNOW! Whether we get less than 50″ or more than 150″, you still need to watch us everyday. That point is a constant. Guaranteed!
Remember last year on Halloween? Utica/Rome just set a 200 year record for the DRIEST MONTH IN HISTORY IN OCTOBER 2024! IT WAS ALMOST 80 DEGREES ON HALLOWEEN! Then November happened. It started off record warm. Then it cooled down. Then in December it cooled enough to start snowing, but it was still a green Christmas, which most of them recently have been.
Then January 1 came. The ball dropped. The next 60 days were epic. Unlike anything we had seen in covering Upstate NY. Even 1994, 2004 and 2015 could not compare to the 60 day stretch we had. It wasn’t record cold. The snow was epic and the damage to Central New York was unlike anything we had seen.
Again, do not trust implicitly what forecast you are given! Especially for the entire season. You can have one or two weekends of snowmobiling planned. If it’s a great season except those two weekends, you’ll think the season was a bust. The season could be a dud but it could also be another great season! Not as nice as last year. Hopefully longer though.
A few last things:
We are slowly preparing for the 2025-26 season here. What else are we going to do when it is 98 degrees outside? We will let you know if and when there are ANY planned trips to Upstate NY. Just based on how Amy is at this time, I would say no. But this year Rich turns 50 on November 4th. We may come up at some point late 3rd or especially 4th quarter just to have a few days to celebrate with friends and family. Details TBD. We shall see.
We have tons of Upstate Snow stickers and Upstate Snow shirts we got just before Rich had his stroke in 2022 that we never had the chance to get rid of. We are getting into the time of year where we can do that.
We had some sponsors last year. We got going on it later than we had wanted to. We know when we need to move on it. September is OUR month to get to EVERYONE. So plan on this page turning ACTIVE starting September 1. We will be quiet, but not as quiet, the rest of July and August. We have other stuff I need to accomplish.
Rich and Zack Lupia
Upstate Snow
July 8, 2025
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