Long Island Weather: Winter Storm Watch Issued

The first of spring is just 15 days away. But Mother Nature wants to make sure we all know it's still winter. A winter storm watch has been issued for Long Island as a second nor'easter in five days threatens to dump 6-9 inches of snow across the area.

The winter storm watch will be in effect all day Wednesday and end at 6 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said. The general timing for the heaviest precipitation would be late Wednesday morning through Wednesday night.

"Expect these initial numbers to change a bit between now and Wednesday, as the fine details get worked out in the forecast," the NWS said in a forecast discussion Monday morning.

Any wind and coastal flood impacts will be closely tied to the strength and track of the storm.

There are still more than 1,300 power outages reported across the island that were caused by last Friday's nor'easter. A coastal flood warning will also be in effect from 9 p.m. Monday until 2 a.m. Tuesday for southern Nassau County and southwestern Suffolk County.

The full forecast:

Monday- Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. North wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Monday Night- Mostly clear, with a low around 28. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. North wind 7 to 13 mph.

Tuesday- Sunny, with a high near 43. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. North wind around 7 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night- A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after midnight. Increasing clouds, with a low around 29. East wind around 7 mph.

Wednesday- Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 3pm. High near 38. Breezy, with an east wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Wednesday Night- Snow likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Thursday- Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Thursday Night- Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Friday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.