A winter storm warning has been issued for Long Island and the entire metro New York region.
The National Weather Service in Upton early this morning issued the winter storm warning for heavy snow. It will be in effect from midnight tonight to 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches are expected across Long Island, New York City,
southern Connecticut, the lower Hudson Valley and northeastern New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
North winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts 30-35 mph are forecast, reducing visibilities at times to one-half to one-quarter mile. Blowing and drifting snow is possible.
Travel will be “treacherous” tomorrow morning as the snow will come down moderate to heavy at times, covering roads and creating poor visibilities, the weather service said. Travel is not recommended tomorrow morning, with blizzard conditions possible at times. Snowfall rates of 2 inches- plus per hour will not be out of the question, the forecast says.
It’s a completely different story today, though. Morning clouds and rain this morning will give way to partly sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures this afternoon, with highs in the mid-50s, according to the NWS forecast.
Colder air moves into the region tonight, as a coastal low quickly intensifies off the Mid-Atlantic Coast, the weather service said. Precipitation will start after midnight Thursday and it will be warm enough for precipitation to start out as rain or a mixture of rain and snow across coastal sections, but a change over to all snow is expected before rush hour Thursday morning, according to the weather service.
Moderate to heavy snow will continue into the late morning hours as the surface coastal low passes just east of the 40/70 benchmark.
The “benchmark” — 40N 70W — is typically associated with heavy snow-makers for Long Island; winter storms that pass over or near it usually produce significant snowfall across the region.
After the low passes the benchmark, a transition back to light snow is expected as the low pushes away from the area, according to the NWS.
