Long Island Weather: Major Snowstorm Possible At Start Of 2018

The National Weather Service has issued the following hazardous weather outlook for Long Island:

There is the potential for an accumulating snowfall Wednesday night into Thursday night as low pressure passes east of the area. Eventual impacts will depend on the track and strength of the low which remain uncertain, however, there currently is a low chance for at least 6 inches of snow accumulation.

A storm will form in the western Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Carolinas by Wednesday.

"This system will have to be watched closely, as latest guidance indicate that it could strengthen significantly," the NWS said in a forecast discussion Sunday afternoon.

"How close to the coast the storm tracks will determine how far west and how much snow falls," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said.

At the moment, the NWS is calling for a 40 percent chance of snow Wednesday night and a 60 percent chance Thursday on Long Island. No official snowfall total estimates have been made yet. Stay tuned for updates and sign up for Patch news and weather alerts if you aren't already subscribed.

image via Accuweather.com

The full forecast:

New Year's Day- Sunny and cold, with a high near 19. Wind chill values between -10 and zero. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph.

Monday Night- Partly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 14. Wind chill values between -5 and zero. West wind 10 to 14 mph.

Tuesday- Sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values between -5 and 5. Northwest wind 11 to 17 mph.

Tuesday Night- Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Wind chill values between 5 and 10. West wind 7 to 13 mph.

Wednesday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

Wednesday Night- A 40 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Thursday- Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night- A 30 percent chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. Blustery.

Friday- Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 14. Blustery.