Long Island weather: Frigid temps through the weekend with blustery winds, light snow

Frigid conditions will continue through the weekend on Long Island as an offshore storm known as a "bomb cyclone" is forecast to bring strong gusts up to 45 mph but less than an inch of snow on Sunday.

The National Weather Service said a cold weather advisory will be in effect through 10 a.m. Saturday. Highs in the 20s are forecast during the day but the wind chill will make it feel closer to minus 5 degrees, the weather service said. The cold will continue overnight Saturday.

Long Islanders could be at risk for hypothermia and frostbite if they don't take precautions, so use caution when traveling outside and wear appropriate clothing, the service said.

Meanwhile, a bomb cyclone that has formed near the Carolinas off the Atlantic will travel north on Sunday, but should bear east of Long Island, sparing the Island the intensity predicted for the Southwest. A bomb cyclone is created when cold and warm air masses collide, sending atmospheric pressure dropping rapidly.

Long Island residents should expect blustery conditions on Sunday as the storm will create winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts of 35 to 40 mph, mainly near the ocean coast, the service said. Gusts of up to 45 mph are possible out east, the service said.

Possible minor flooding and shoreline impacts may also occur.

The system could also bring a light snowfall to Long Island, with the East End expected to receive the most accumulation, with about half an inch predicted.

"Confidence is now high that the area will avoid impactful snowfall due to the coastal system being too far offshore to bring significant snowfall," the National Weather Service said. But, the forecast added, "Up to around an inch or two is still possible for eastern sections should the system track farther west than anticipated.

Temperatures will reach just below freezing Monday — Groundhog Day — when Punxsutawney Phil and others of his ilk will emerge to "predict" whether the region is in store for six more weeks of winter or an early spring.