Snow forecast for Long Island: 2 to 5 inches, with frigid temps to follow

A dusting of snow is present at Kings Park Memorial Park on Cedar Street in Kings Park on Friday. Credit: Joseph Sperber
Long Island is expected to receive 2 to 5 inches of snow, and possibly more, on Sunday, with an arctic air mass arriving next week, the National Weather Service said.
A two-day precipitation period is forecast to begin with rain Saturday afternoon, when high temperatures will climb to the upper 40s, the weather service predicts.
Late morning or early afternoon Sunday, precipitation will likely "start off as a rain/snow mix because we’ll be warm enough," with high temperatures in the upper 30s, said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Upton office. The wintry mix "should change over to snow by late day or evening" and continue to fall "during the first half of the night," he added.
As of around 4:45 p.m. Friday, Goodman predicted the Island would see around 3 to 5 inches of snow, but he said estimates could change as the low pressure system nears, and the start of pure snowfall could be delayed based on temperatures.
"We’ll have to see if that holds. It’s possible conditions may end up being warmer on Sunday and those amounts may come down. If it starts off warmer we could have rain or a rain snow mix for longer," Goodman said.
The weather service on Friday afternoon forecast that snow could fall at rates of a half-inch to 1 inch per hour on Sunday, with the fastest snowfall predicted near the New York City metro area.
The snow won't be going anywhere soon, as Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will see highs in the 20s or lower and single digits at night. Due to the arctic air mass, temperatures will not reach the 30s until Thursday. But Long Islanders can expect sunshine during the day almost all week after the snowstorm.
The weather service warned Friday afternoon that wind chills could drop to 15 degrees below zero Monday and Tuesday evenings, adding "hypothermia or frostbite could occur with prolonged exposure and lack of proper clothing."
With Maureen Mullarkey

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Things to do now on LI Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break.