Blizzard warning issued for Long Island

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for Long Island through 6 a.m. Thursday.  Snow is expected to mix with sleet and rain early Wednesday before turning over to all snow, heavy at times, Wednesday afternoon.

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Forecasters had revised their predictions, saying the storm would pack a little more punch than previously expected, potentially bringing as much as 2 to 4 inches of snow by daybreak on Wednesday and as much as a foot and a half by the time it's done, forecasters said.

The storm, expected to drop 10 to 16 inches on most of Long Island, "comes a little more in earnest overnight, at least than previously thought," meteorologist John Cristantello.

The East End and South Shore are expected to get 8 to 14 inches, as the snow may mix with rain and sleet into Wednesday evening.

For the rest of the Island, the snow may mix with sleet in the morning but it will fall at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour by the time it ends Wednesday night.

Northeast winds will become "strong and gusty" during the day, with those gusts, in the 35- to 40-mph range, causing blowing and drifting snow. Near-blizzard conditions are possible at times, as are power outages, forecasters said.

Travel is expected to be dangerous, so only travel in an emergency, forecasters said.

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