Long Island weather: Up to 2 inches of snow expected Tuesday night

A "light snowfall" is expected Tuesday evening on Long Island, leaving up to a possible two inches, the National Weather Service said while warning that snow amounts could change based on the system's direction.

"A quick moving low pressure system is expected to graze coastal portions of the Tri-State with a light snowfall Tuesday evening into Tuesday Night. Based on current storm track, snowfall amounts are forecast to be light, but a slight northward shift in the low pressure system would increase snowfall amounts," the weather service said in its storm briefing Monday evening.

The highest amounts of snow were expected across eastern Long Island, the service said. If the storm shifts northward, there could be higher amounts of snow and a shift southward could mean less.

The service said travel could become hazardous Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.

The high will be around 40 degrees Tuesday but that will drop to freezing Tuesday night. 

Monday night will be clear with a low in the 30s.

Meanwhile, a small craft warning is in effect from noon Monday through to 6 a.m. Tuesday for all South Shore ocean waters, with gale warnings also in effect for ocean waters off Long Island.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”