Coastal storm brings, rain, light snow over weekend to LI, other areas to be hit harder

A storm bearing down on the East Coast this weekend is expected to bring scant snow to Long Island and New York City, according to the National Weather Service, but plenty of rain.

The latest guidance from the weather service shows an inch or less is expected for Long Island, with 2 to 3 inches predicted only in a “worst-case scenario,” and the precipitation likely turning from rain to light snow Sunday.

The lower Hudson Valley and interior portions of New Jersey and southern Connecticut are forecast to get 6 to 8 inches, with a foot of snow possible, according to the weather service's Thursday evening advisory, which said Long Island could get up to an inch and a half of rain from the coastal storm.

The storm will bring sustained winds of 25 mph to 35 mph with higher gusts possible, especially out east, and there will be widespread minor coastal flooding with the high tide Sunday morning along Long Island Sound.

Meteorologist Bill Korbel said snow aficionados will likely be disappointed. He expects mostly rain from the storm, thanks to warmer ocean winds that will keep temperatures in the atmosphere above freezing.

“The snow will be mostly north and west of us,” Korbel said. “But it has been so long since we've had snow, even the thought of snow has people interested.”

Korbel said the brunt of the storm will hit Long Island on Sunday. The South Shore will likely be slushy, but the North Shore could get some light accumulation. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-30s. 

The last time any significant accumulation occurred in the region was March 3, when an inch was recorded at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. The last major snowstorm occurred nearly two years ago, on Jan. 28 and 29, 2022, when 24.7 inches was recorded at MacArthur, 20 inches in central Suffolk, and 12 inches in western Nassau.

Friday is expected to be sunny with gusty winds and a high of 38.