Snow predicted for LI Friday

While not packing the foot or two of snow that pummeled the area last week, a storm due to arrive on Long Island Friday may drop up to 6 to 8 inches, adding to what's left over from the blizzard.

Current tracking indicates that snowfall will likely be 2 to 5 inches, but portions of the tri-state area may see 6 to 8 inches, said meteorologist John Murray of the National Weather Service in Upton.

On Thursday morning, the service issued a Winter Storm Watch for New York City and Long Island. It begins Friday morning and lasts through the night.

The snowfall could "significantly" impact the evening rush, the service said. 

Accuweather.com is forecasting a chance of snow Friday into Saturday, but it is saying about 5 inches will fall.

Black ice may also be a problem in the next week with daytime temperatures above freezing and falling below freezing at night, allowing snow to melt and then refreeze, Murray said.

We might also be in for a chillier-than-normal month, forecasters say. Despite a trend toward warmer temperatures, AccuWeather.com chief long-range forecaster Joe Bastardi is saying this month could turn out to be the coldest January on average for the nation since 1985.

SEE PHOTOSSnowstorms that buried LI over the past 100-plus years