The slow-moving nor’easter that’s been lingering over Long Island since Wednesday will finally leave the area, but not before dropping up to six inches of snow during a blustery finale overnight.
Forecasters anticipate that the winter storm will dump three to six inches of snow on the region as temperatures drop below freezing. The heaviest snow will fall overnight and into Friday morning, according to Upton-based National Weather Service.
“We should get more accumulation than last night,” said Lauren Nash, meteorologist with the weather service.
In a special weather statement released late Thursday afternoon, the weather service said bands of snow could impact driving conditions with visibility lowering to one-half mile.
All of Long Island is currently under a winter weather advisory. The possibility of flooding also forced officials to issue a coastal flood advisory.
Despite the wind weakening during the duration of the storm, the weather service said strong winds could still impact the area. Forecasters call for sustained winds up to 25 mph and wind gusts topping 35 mph.
The storm has been a nuisance but hasn’t had a serious impact on the Island. The Long Island Power Authority has reported minimal outages, but said it is continuing to monitor the storm closely with National Grid.
“Advance preparation has positioned LIPA and National Grid to respond quickly for customers experiencing power outages caused by this storm,” the utilities said on LIPA’s website.
Airlines Wednesday cancelled several flights in advance of the storm, which continues to cause delays in the air. The Port Authority reported that weather conditions have disrupted flights to and from LaGuardia Airport Thursday.
The weather should clear up late Friday and will give way to sunny skies over the weekend. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday calls for temperatures flirting with 50 degrees.
