LI to see mostly rain Thursday, snow possible tonight

Long Island's morning commuters faced steady rain and dense fog Thursday in the first part of what is expected to be a two-day winter storm for portions of the Northeast.

But as that winter storm sets up to deliver heavy snow in New York City and areas as far west as Philadelphia, Long Island is likely to continue to see mostly rain until late Thursday night and early Friday morning.

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The National Weather Service says Long Island will get up to an inch of rain today through midnight, with winds gusting between 21 mph and 28 mph later in the evening.

Commuters could face a tough drive home Thursday afternoon, however, as the rain west of Long Island turns to snow.

In the city, rain is expected to turn to snow between 10 a.m. and noon. The highs are near 36, with north winds between 5 mph and 14 mph. Total daytime accumulation of snow is expected to be 3 inches to 5 inches, according to the service.

That slushy wet mix of rain and snow in the city should continue until about 9 p.m., and then become all snow after 9 p.m. Temperatures are expected to drop to below 30, and winds are likely to pick up then, exceeding 20 mph.

The service is calling for an overnight snow accumulation of 3 inches to 7 inches in the city. Total accumulation for New York City could be as much as 12 inches, some reports said.