ALBANY COUNTY — Snow will start falling in Albany County at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning — heavy at times — with an accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The high is expected to be just below freezing at 32 degrees and the wind will be calm, reaching 5 miles per hour in the afternoon.

The sky will start to clear Tuesday night as the temperature falls to 19 degrees, making way for a mostly sunny Wednesday with a high near 34 degrees.

A winter storm watch will be in effect for most of eastern New York and western New England from 7 a.m. Tuesday until 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Governor Kathy Hochul in a Monday release urged New Yorkers “to exercise caution ahead of a Nor’easter system forecast to bring the first major snowfall for much of the state beginning early Tuesday morning.”

The release cautioned: “New Yorkers should do their best to avoid unnecessary travel on roadways; however if unable to, it will be important to leave extra time for traveling and always remember to avoid crowding plows when they are servicing roadways.”

“Ahead of this snowfall, I’m encouraging New Yorkers to make a plan — stock your car with safety essentials and leave extra time when traveling,” Hochul said in the release. “State agencies stand ready to assist New Yorkers throughout the storm and our plow crews will be out keeping our roadways safe, but we encourage everyone to be weather aware and closely monitor the forecast.”

Cold weather tips from the state’s health department can be found here; additional tips for preventing frostbite and hypothermia can be found here; information on carbon-monoxide poisoning can be found here; information on the proper use of generators can be found here; and safe winter driving tips can be found here.