A blizzard is forecast to dump three to eight inches of snow and up to 60-mph winds on Long Island, potentially causing blackouts on St. Valentine’s Day, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Suffolk County from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday and a winter weather advisory for the same time period in Nassau County. The East End is likely to get the most snow. A high-wind advisory and wind chill advisory are also in effect for parts of LI.
“The heaviest snow and strongest winds will occur late tonight through Sunday morning,” the agency’s Upton-based meteorologists said in a statement, adding that there may be “white out conditions.”
A blizzard is defined as a severe snow storm that includes sustained winds of more than 35 mph that continue for three hours or more. The storm forecast to hit LI is expected to reduce visibility to a quarter mile on LI at times. It will likely down tree limbs and power lines, causing power outages, forecasters have said.
The storm follows an arctic blast that brought single-digit temperatures to LI on Friday. The flakes are forecast to start falling after noon Saturday, with the snowfall becoming heavier after sundown. Areas of blowing snow are expected Sunday, when temps are predicted to be as low as 12 with wind chill values as low as -10.
Once the storm leaves the area, Presidents’ Day is forecast as sunny and cold with a high of 20. Then, a 50-percent chance of snow is on tap for Tuesday night into Wednesday, forecasters said.
In the event of a power outage, PSEG Long Island customers should call the utility’s customer service line at 1-800-490-0075, report online at psegliny.com or report power outages by texting “OUT” to PSEGLI (773454), once registered.
