Rain and snow are forecast to continue for the next couple of hours, and end by the morning hours of Tuesday. Accumulations of snow are expected to be very minor at best. Instead, the main story will be the rapidly falling temperatures a a northwest flow develops aloft and ushers in a fresh new cold airmass. Temperatures Tuesday will fall from the mid 30's early in the day, to the mid 20's by the afternoon. Winds will also increase dramatically as well, gusting from 18 to 25 miles per hour, and possibly as high as 40 miles per hour throughout the day. We can't rule out the potential for snow showers or squalls throughout the day, either. The combination of the two will make Tuesday generally an unpleasant day, with the fierce cold and wind of winter returning once again. Featured image: High Resolution WRF-ARW temperature forecast for 4:00pm February 8th, 2011.

Tuesday Night and Wednesday will remain cold, with overnight temperatures into the teens in the city and single digits inland. Wednesday will once again feature high's struggling to get out of the 20's. Afterwards, the airmass begins to modify as the cold air slowly loses it's grip on the area. Thursday should be warmer than the previous two days, with decreasing winds and temperatures reaching into the mid to upper 30's, with the warmer trend continuing through the weekend, when temperatures should begin to eek into the lower 40's.

Today (Tuesday): Mostly cloudy with rain and snow early, with a high near 35 being reached early this morning. Then, decreasing clouds, and partly cloudy with dropping temperatures. Afternoon temperatures in the mid 20's. Windy, with northwest winds 15 to 25 miles per hour, gusting as high as 40 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 30% before 9am.

Tonight (Tuesday Night): Mostly clear, cold, and windy. Low around 15. West winds 15 to 25 miles per hour, gusting as high as 35 miles per hour.

Need more? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the upcoming work week , 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 and Doug Simonian. 1:31am February 8th, 2011.