The latest forecast models are in, and it shows the New York City area getting hit by another weekend winter storm that is shaping up to be a classic nor’easter.
Forecasts now show up to a foot of snow expected for the five boroughs, along with central Jersey and Nassau County on Long Island. Totals may be a little lower farther north and west, with the Hudson Valley, North Jersey and Connecticut in the 5-8 inch range.
Winter storm watches were issued for the city and the rest of the tri-state.
Some farther east on Long Island and down the Jersey Shore could see more than a foot of snow before the storm is over.
Additionally, winds will gust between 30-50 mph during the storm, so blowing snow will be a problem, particularly along the coast.
So what changed? Models that previously showed the system farther offshore (like the European model) moved Friday morning, showing it hugging the coastline more. That is closer to the forecast predicted by the American model, which had been very aggressive on snow for the past day or so.
The storm comes as a result of an area of low pressure currently over California that will traverse the country and move off the North Carolina coast Sunday. As it moves into the Atlantic, the low will strengthen and the tri-state area will pick up light to moderate snow and gusty northeast winds beginning Sunday afternoon.
Snow will begin light with slightly above-freezing temperatures, so accumulations through Sunday afternoon will be relatively small. The heaviest snow will happen after sunset Sunday and continue into early Monday morning before it begins to taper off.
Travel Sunday night will be a mess, with heavy snow and gusty wind. The morning commute on Monday will be terrible, too. While the snow will be coming to an end, the winds will lead to blowing snow and reduced visibility, making roads awful to navigate.
The storm system will begin pulling away Monday afternoon, so conditions will begin to improve, with dry skies and sunshine taking over Tuesday.
Stay with Storm Team 4 through the weekend as we fine-tune the forecast for you.
