8 inches of snow expected in area Tuesday

Before last month's snow has melted away, another winter storm is set to bear down this week on Long Island, the National Weather Service predicted Sunday.

Meteorologist Matt Scalora said "there's a potential for high amounts" of at least 8 inches of snow to begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday through noon Wednesday for the entire metropolitan area. Scalora said the storm, which is expected to travel north up the Eastern Seaboard, will come with wind gusts of up to 35 mph.

On its website, the weather service predicted "a significant winter storm" that could drop more than a foot of new snow in some areas. Scalora said more precise predictions will have to wait until the storm draws closer and forecasters can determine its exact track.

The expected storm comes after the post-Christmas blizzard that dumped up to 20 inches of snow in parts of the region and crippled road, rail and air transportation for days. The New York City Council has a hearing scheduled Monday at which aides to Mayor Michael Bloomberg are expected to testify about what critics said was the city's tepid response to the storm.

Meanwhile, temperatures will remain close to or just above freezing. Monday will see a high of about 32 degrees and temperatures Tuesday could reach as high as 34 degrees.