A moderate to significant ice storm now over, most of the metro area will spend the next few days drying out and dealing with colder temperatures. Many spent a few hours Tuesday Night and Wednesday morning without power as ice accretion on power lines and trees caused widespread moderate ice storm effects. A glaze of ice still remains on the trees and power lines in some areas, so be careful of potential outages tonight with increasing winds. Also, any puddles or wet roads will freeze rapidly creating hazardous driving conditions overnight. The rest of the week through Friday should feature colder and dry conditions. High temperatures on Thursday will struggle to reach 30 degrees, and will drop into the teens Thursday Night. Sunny skies on Friday should allow for temperatures to rebound towards near freezing. Featured image: Ice accretion on branches and trees as photographed in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. 

The attention then turns to Friday Night through Saturday, when another winter storm is poised to impact the area. Much uncertainty still exists, but the potential is there for moderate amounts of snow and sleet, with snow likely the predominant precipitation type further north and west. Areas near the coast remain more uncertain, and could experience rain, sleet, or snow. For now, drive safely and cautiously with the slick and icy roads. We'll keep you updated over the next few days on the potential storm for this weekend.

Tonight (Wednesday Night): Mostly cloudy with patchy fog, then becoming mostly clear. Low near 21. West winds around 15 miles per hour, gusting to 25 miles per hour.

Thursday: A mix of sun and clouds, and colder. High near 28. Northwest winds 10 to 15 miles per hour.

Need more? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the rest of the work week and 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. 6:05pm February 2nd, 2011