Arctic air continues to keep our temperatures very cold as we prepare for the arrival of a winter storm that has the potential to bring over a foot of snow to parts of our area.
The possibility of a storm this weekend could have a major impact on parts of the northeastern United States, and the question of the day is which area will be most affected?
By Friday morning we should start to see some snow showers as a cold front moves through. The coastal storm will begin to approach the area tonight and some snow will begin to move from the southeast to the northwest between 7 and 9 p.m.
As the low intensifies, so will the overnight snow and by sunrise Saturday we could have more than 1-3 inches and maybe even more, especially in eastern coastal locations.
The National Weather Service continues to monitor the potential development of a major winter storm that could bring a “significant” amount of snow and winter mix to our region beginning Friday night through Saturday morning.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service predict that a powerful snow storm could become a ‘bomb cyclone’ and bring up to a foot of snow across a wide swath of the region on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, the storm is likely to generate wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, which could cause power outages and flight cancellations.
However, uncertainty still prevails, warned the National Weather Service as the forecast is still inaccurate, as the path of the storm could change, as well as the amount of snow it could bring to our area.
As the threat of this possible major snowfall approaches, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch early Thursday morning for New York City, Long Island and Westchester counties, Fairfield, Hudson, and New York counties. in southern and coastal New Jersey, warning that up to a foot of snow was possible.
Although the bomb cyclone would bring snow, ice, high winds and flooding, the exact path of the system continues to change, with slight deviations that could intensify or weaken impacts in New York City and New Jersey.
If the storm heads west away from the coast, this could centralize the heaviest snow inland, including the New York City area, while an eastward shift is more likely to set snow totals lower. high east of the five boroughs.
The storm could bring some light snowfall during the drive Friday night, though heavier precipitation is more likely to arrive overnight into Saturday.
At this point, 3 to 5 inches and possibly as much as 8 inches are forecast in the city and most of southern and coastal New Jersey, with higher amounts over Long Island, where more than a foot of snow could fall. .
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said confidence is growing that the coastal storm will bring significant impacts to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The metro area could see 3 to more than 5 inches of snow Friday through Saturday, with higher amounts on eastern Long Island and less accumulation north and west of the city. The impact will make roads slippery so drive carefully. However, if the storm system moves a little closer towards our metropolitan area we could see more snow, if it moves away, we will see less.
Long Island could see snow Saturday from 3 am to 9 pm with accumulations of 5 to 8 inches of snow in Nassau County and 8 to 12 inches in Suffolk. It would also see 50 mph wind gusts, which could bring power outages. There is a threat of moderate coastal flooding.
