ALBANY — New predictions from the National Weather Service have Friday’s winter storm dumping between 3 and 6 inches of snow on the Capital Region.

The Friday storm, which will also affect the Hudson Valley, will be followed Sunday night by freezing rain, potentially complicating the entire travel weekend. 

The snow is expected to begin sometime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday in the area, National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Lipton said on Thursday afternoon. The Hudson Valley could be the most severely impacted, getting between five and eight inches of snowfall, with the snow “coming down really heavily” in the first hours of the event — when many could be headed back home from their holiday celebrations.

Nearly 6.5 inches of snow could fall in Kingston, with more than 7 inches coming down in Hunter.

The entire Hudson Valley, other than Columbia County, is under a winter storm warning, while the Capital Region and Western New York are under a winter storm advisory. Advisories are issued for more minor weather threats.

Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement warning of the impending weather and cold. Temperatures will be in the teens during much of the snowfall, making it extra-difficult for plows to clear the roadways.

Very little snow will melt over the weekend before the second round of weather hits on Sunday, Lipton said, which will begin around 2 p.m. and consist mostly of freezing rain.

Lipton warned that this is an active weather pattern, and predictions could change again before the flakes start coming down.

The weekend mix of snow and rain showers was not expected to affect planes traveling in or out of Albany International Airport. 

AAA warned travelers to expect clogged roads and slower-than-usual travel times, especially near the New York City metro area. According to the association, nearly 122 million Americans are projected to travel during the upcoming holiday — a 2% increase over last year. The majority of those travelers will be driving due to low gas prices and lingering hesitation about booking flights following November’s flight cancellations.