The second winter storm in less than two weeks to hit the region is expected to dump up to eight inches of snow on Long Island this weekend, experts say.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Nassau and Suffolk counties and much of the New York Metro area from 4 p.m. Dec. 26 to 1 p.m. Dec. 27.
“This storm is going to be what we call‘front loaded,’” Jay Engel, an Upton-based NWS meteorologist, said in a briefing. “That means a large portion of the accumulating snowfall is going to occur approximately, I’d say, in the first five to seven hours.”
Dry, powdery flakes are forecast to start falling late afternoon and early evening Friday at a rate of between a half inch per hour and up to two inches per hour for a few hours at its peak, NWS stated. The rate expected to become lighter — but the snow wetter and heavier — after midnight before tapering off the following morning.
“It’s going to be primarily an all-snow event, with only the chance of some brief mixing before it quits for mainly western and southwestern portions of the area,” Engel added. Less snow — around four inches — are expected on the East End.
“Travel could be very difficult,” NWS stated in its warning. “The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute.”
Temperatures are expected to be in the 20s during the storm and on Saturday, when wind gusts could reach 21 mph. Sunday is forecast as mostly cloudy before a rain storm moves in and temps reach the high 40s. The rest of the week appears clear with temps in the 30s.
