Nearly 10 inches of heavy snow that canceled school, business and travel Monday on Long Island is forecast to freeze overnight before another snow storm could bring 4-to-8 more inches this week.
The wet, slushy snow that tapered off after sundown is expected to turn to ice once temperatures drop into the 20s or below at night, making for a slippery Tuesday morning commute, forecasters said. The National Weather Service also issued a winter storm watch for Nassau County from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon.
“The next one is even trickier,” said Joey Picca, an meteorologist in the agency’s Upton office. “As we go through the night time hours, then what we’re looking at is the snow start to mix with freezing rain and sleet.”
Just like the storm that hit Monday, the forecast is likely to change before arrival, but is expected to be “significant” nonetheless. A half inch of ice is expected to coat the snow this time.
After that storm breaks, there’s a growing chance of another storm capable of significant snowfall moving in from the south this weekend, although that is far from set, Picca said.
The storm Monday downed tree branches and power lines, causing more than 4,000 homes and businesses to lose power at the worst point, PSEG Long Island said. Most of those were restored by evening.
The Long Island Rail Road was mostly running on time on a normal schedule and major roadways appeared plowed, but air travelers in town for the Super Bowl were reportedly stranded at New York City airports overnight until flights resume Wednesday.
Unofficial snowfall amounts as of mid-day Monday topped out at 9.9 in Centerport, 9.3 in Mattituck and 8 inches even in Saint James with North Merrick and Albertson tied for the highest amount in Nassau at 8.8 inches..
