NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The day before the day before Christmas is shaping up to be a messy mix of rain and snow. 

 

A winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service office in Albany, N.Y., through 7 a.m. on Wednesday for Berkshire County, and eastern Rensselaer County in New York. 

 

Patchy snowfall was expected to begin Tuesday morning over the region and through the afternoon, before turning to freezing drizzle in the evening. The region could see total accumulations of 2 to 5 inches of snow and a glaze of ice. 

 

WTEN Channel 10 in Albany has North County and Southern Vermont getting up to 6 inches. 

 

Heavier snow is forecast beginning after midnight along with gusty northwesterly winds. According to NWS, "The combination of gusty winds and falling snow will likely reduce visibility and lead to difficult travel."

 

Christmas Eve will be cold and breezy and Christmas Day cloudy with highs in the upper 30s, but turning frostier in the evening. Friday will be in the 20s with a chance of snow. 

 

Most schools are either already out this week for the holiday vacation or have half-days Tuesday or Wednesday. 

 

For those hitting the road for holiday destinations, the state Department of Transportation is cautioning drivers to allow for extra time for travel and to check forecasts for their routes, and if possible, consider using public transportation in place of a personal vehicle. 

 

MassDOT crews will be pretreating roadways as needed in advance of snow accumulation or freezing rain and deploying snow removal crews and equipment as necessary when needed.

 

"MassDOT will have crews ready across the state to respond as needed," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "Since both commuter and holiday travelers will be on the road when the weather is expected to hit the state's roadways, we’re asking the public to both allow extra time and be extra patient as some drivers may be unfamiliar with the area they are traveling."