It's been a while since we indulged in a forecast blog post, but we're back. And we are bringing news of a light to moderate snowfall accumulation on Friday which will be characterized by a period of heavy snow during the day. For the remainder of today, Thursday, clouds should continue to increase with temperatures reaching the mid to upper 30's for highs. Overnight tonight, a steady deck of clouds will bring the chance of some light snow past midnight. No accumulations are expected by daybreak. The real show begins Friday afternoon, when a band of heavy snow rotates through the area from southwest to northeast. This band should start far southwest near Philadelphia, track northeast, to near or just north of the city, and then pivot east/northeast from there. The band is expected to bring heavy snow and dangerous travel conditions. Where the pivot of this band occurs (where the band stops, and turns northeast), the heavier accumulations could occur. We're generally looking at a 1 to 3 inch snowfall across the entire area, with some higher amounts where the band stalls. Stay tuned for evening package information including local forecast products (warnings and advisories). Featured image: New York Metro Weather's storm total snowfall forecast for Friday's event.

Remainder of Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Winds out of the west and light at 3 to 6 miles per hour.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a chance of light snow after midnight. Winds should be calm, but occasionally north at 2 to 5 miles per hour. Chance of snow is 30 percent.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with snow likely. The snow may be briefly heavy. High near 35. Winds west at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Chance of snow is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Need more? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the weekend, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Article by John Homenuk. 2:11pm January 06th, 2011.