Biking - Sneaking one in before the rain/sleet/snow/whatever

When I got up this morning and looked at the forecast, and then at the radar, it really didn't look like the [insert precip type here] would be "mostly after 3pm". I figured I had until noon at the latest to do anything outside before something started falling from the sky.

I'd been wondering about the condition of the bike path west of Lock 7, a stretch that was still very icy a few weeks ago. I had also only recently been east as far as Fort's Ferry Road, and didn't know what conditions lay beyond there. So, I parked at Lock 7 and headed west on the bike toward Blatnick Park just to see how far I could go. Somewhat to my surprise, the ice was now gone, and I was able to ride up the hill to the park with no impediments at all. Then, I went back down the hill and rode east to the top of a short steep hill near the Northway, where I turned around and headed back. This entire stretch is now (temporarily, I'm sure) clear of ice and snow and rideable, a 15-mile round trip.

A few sprinkles started to fall as I passed the Niskayuna Train Station on my return, but nothing serious. As I drove home, the sprinkles started mixing with sleet, and I was glad I had gone out when I did. And there's no telling what tomorrow morning may look like.