Western Orange County manages through sudden snowstorm that arrived without warning
Up to 7 inches of heavy snow fell on Otisville Friday morning.
Friday was a day of firsts for Sutton Pierson.
The toddler experienced her first major snowfall and built her first snowman outside her family home in Otisville.
Up to 7 inches of heavy snow fell on Otisville Friday morning.
It was completely unexpected, but when the snow started overnight, the family was certain they were about to receive more than the 1 inch of slush they were anticipating.
Sutton's mother, Ariana, is admittedly not great with numbers, so when her husband asked, "How much snow did we get?," she replied, "like almost half the baby."
At 850 feet above sea level, the Piersons and other Otisville residents said that while they have experience with high snow totals, Friday's storm was a unique experience since they were only initially expecting a trace of snow and the storm hit hardest just before the morning rush hour.
"Everything was closed," Ariana Pierson said. "We can't get (couldn't) get to work. Actually over here, we had roads closed down in Otisville. That was definitely weird. I've lived here like three years now and I've never had roads shut down."
Friday was also a memorable day for a solar installation crew from Minnesota that was working in Orange County.
During their lunch break at a pizzeria, solar panel technician Jake Jacobson said he used to heavy snow, but Friday morning, in the mountains, was even too much for him.
Jacobson said conditions changed quickly as he went up and down hills.
"I've never seen it snow any more than that," he said of conditions in western Orange County Friday morning. "It was just coming down. Then I went down to the Delaware River. It cleared right up. The roads were dry. I drove back up and it started snowing again once I got back on top."
News 12's crew covering western Orange County had a similar experience.
Coverage began at a high elevation in the Town of Wallkill where snow pummeled neighborhoods.
Drivers struggled to make it over the hill on Fortune Road.
News crews then descended into Middletown where there was just a dusting at Thrall Park with grass fully visible.
