Honestly, if you've spent more than five minutes in Putnam County, you know the deal. The weather here doesn't just change; it pivots. One morning you’re scraping a quarter-inch of ice off your windshield on North Main Street, and by lunchtime, the sun is hitting the Reservoir just right and you’re wondering why you wore the heavy parka.
Right now, the Brewster NY weather forecast is leaning into that classic mid-January funk. It's Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and we are currently sitting at 33°F. It feels like 25°F because of a persistent southwest wind. If you're heading out to the Metro-North station, grab the gloves.
The Week Ahead: Slush, Sun, and the "January Thaw"
We aren't seeing a massive blizzard today, but it’s definitely "gray" season. Today's high is going to top out around 44°F. That’s actually a bit warmer than our usual January average of 35°F, but don't let the number fool you. It's going to stay cloudy, and we might see some light rain or even a few stray snow flurries tonight as the temperature dips back toward 30°F.
Wednesday is where things get messy.
There’s a 45% chance of a rain-snow mix tomorrow night. It’s that annoying kind of weather where it’s not cold enough for a beautiful snow cover, but it’s just wet enough to make I-84 a nightmare during the evening commute.
By Thursday, the bottom drops out.
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We’re looking at a high of 39°F during the day, but then a true arctic blast hits. The low Thursday night is projected to be 15°F. That is a 24-degree drop in a matter of hours. If you haven't checked your tire pressure lately, that's the night it'll trigger your dashboard sensors.
Why Brewster Weather Is So Hard to Predict
People always complain that the forecasters are wrong, but Brewster has a weird geography that messes with the models. We are tucked into the hills of the lower Hudson Valley, surrounded by the East Branch Reservoir and the Bog Brook Reservoir.
Water holds heat longer than land.
Those massive bodies of water can create localized "micro-climates." Sometimes we get a "lake effect" dusting that misses Southeast entirely, or the fog rolls off the water and stays trapped in the valley near the Village for hours.
Historical Reality Check
January is statistically the coldest month of the year here. We usually average about 7.3 days of "measurable" precipitation—basically, stuff that actually sticks or puddles.
Last year, in 2025, we had a pretty wild run. Remember that June 22nd storm? The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado in Oneida County, and while we didn't get the worst of it in Putnam, the atmospheric instability was off the charts all summer. This winter has been a bit more predictable, following a "Stronger Polar Vortex" pattern that kept the real arctic air bottled up north until just recently.
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Survival Guide for the Next 48 Hours
If you're living the Brewster life, you basically need three different jackets in your car at all times. Here is the move for the rest of the week:
- Tuesday Night: Keep an eye on the sidewalks. That light rain will freeze the second it touches the pavement as the sun goes down.
- Wednesday: It's a "waterproof boots" day. The mix of rain and melting snow from earlier in the week means deep puddles near the curbs.
- Friday: This is the coldest day in the immediate Brewster NY weather forecast. The high is only 29°F. If you have outdoor pets or livestock, make sure their water heaters are actually plugged in and working.
Looking Toward the Weekend
Saturday, January 17, is looking like our next real chance for "white stuff." There’s a 35% chance of snow Saturday night with a low of 25°F. It’s too early to call for inches, but it’s enough to keep the salt trucks on standby.
The wind is also picking up. We’re expecting gusts around 15 mph from the west by Thursday, which makes that 39-degree high feel significantly more like 20 degrees.
Basically, the "January Thaw" we’re seeing today and tomorrow is a tease. Winter is very much still here, and the transition from 44°F on Wednesday to 15°F on Thursday night is going to be a shock to the system.
Keep the de-icer handy. Make sure your wiper fluid isn't the "summer" version that freezes at 32°F. Most importantly, give yourself an extra ten minutes if you're taking the back roads toward North Salem or Carmel—those shaded spots under the trees hold onto black ice long after the main roads have cleared.