Blizzard Conditions, Flooding Possible For Long Island

A major winter storm is coming for the East Coast this weekend.

That much has become clear, but what remains uncertain is just how much snow Long Islanders will be digging out of.

In a storm briefing issued Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said there’s a “moderate potential” for 6 or more inches and a “low potential” for 12 or more inches of snow from Friday night into Sunday. Combine that with expected winds of 30-40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph and it’s certainly possible Long Island could be dealing with blizzard conditions.

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There is a “low probability” of snow impacting Friday evening’s commute, the NWS says, and 2-3 inches of snow is expected to fall across Long Island from 7 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday, but the brunt of the storm will be throughout the day on Saturday.

Regardless of how much snow falls, coastal flooding could be a serious issue in the area.

There will be a chance of widespread moderate tidal flooding around the times of high tide on Saturday, the NWS says. A full moon on Saturday will only serve to exacerbate any flooding.

Despite what has already been days of hype surrounding the storm, the NWS says the forecast remains ”very uncertain.”

“The only thing we can be fairly certain of is that it will precipitate and it will be windy,” the weather service’s New York office said in a forecast discussion.

As of now, the “bullseye” of the storm seems to be targeting the Washington, D.C. area and the NWS says ”based on the anticipated storm track, as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow is possible near and northwest of I-95.”

“Should the storm continue northeastward, rather than turn more to the east at the last minute, New York City, Boston, Providence, Rhode Island, and Hartford, Connecticut, would also be buried in snow,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.

Photo via AccuWeather