A one-two blow of strong winds and heavy snow has the potential to deliver stormy conditions Monday in the Tri-State area as the biggest winter storm in years surrounds the region.
The heaviest comes on Monday with 1 to 2 inches an hour of snow or even higher with gusts of 40-50 km / h. Some areas may even experience thunder snow at the height of the storm.
Snow will fall on Tuesday, but winds and drift will continue as the wind remains windy.
Meteorologist Jeff Smith, ABC7, said the event could last well over 48 hours, making for a rare blizzard, as we see every five to ten years.
RELATED: School Closures for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
WARNING: Winter Storm Warnings issued by the National Weather Service
On Sunday night, New York City looked like a snowball from roof cameras as visibility declined rapidly.
With emergencies declared in New Jersey and New York City, there was a layer of snow in place early in the five districts, and parts of New Jersey already had a few inches, with the storm only a few hours in its attack on the region.
If all goes well, the metropolitan area could see dramatic extremes in accumulations, with 18 to 24 inches possible in northwestern New Jersey – as close to the city as northwestern Bergen County – and southern parts of the Catskills.
That bag of intense snow accumulation can thumbs closer to the city, depending on the extent to which the storm stays all the snow closer to the coast. Coastal areas could see a mix of precipitation if the temperature could rise to freezing point later Monday, as the slow-moving storm drags the lighter air away from the Atlantic Ocean.
Currently, the northeastern and central part of New Jersey, New York City, western Nassau County, the Hudson Valley, and nearby Connecticut are all in the bullye for a solid foot to 18 inches of snow.
East Nassau and western Suffolk counties are in the 6 “-12 ” range, and the Long Island forks, along with South Jersey, can only see 3 ” – 6 ”, with mixed and warmer air.
The strongest winds will be along the coast and across Long Island. It is coastal areas and the city itself that may see a snowstorm for some time, but the national weather service has not issued such a warning. For now, the entire region remains under warning of the winter storm.
The storm leaves slowly Tuesday, but it will still be dazzling and cool. Additional significant accumulation is probably not Tuesday during the day, but do not be surprised to see a few more inches before the storm finally leaves.
The snow itself is likely to remain fluffy throughout the event because it is so cold but can get wetter and heavier in blending coastal air.
Coastal areas will also have to deal with the risk of flooding due to the power storm, and flood warnings apply to Long Island until Tuesday at 3 p.m. These areas are at risk of moderate coastal flooding, but some areas may experience severe flooding.
High tide Monday night could bring 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet of flooding into vulnerable areas, areas such as Freeport and Lindenhurst on Long Island and the South Shore rugby bays. The storm’s slow-moving nature will include several high-tide cycles, raising concerns.
RELATED: Live Winter Storm Updates from Across the Tri-State
Stay with the AccuWeather team for ongoing updates.
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