Bomb cyclone may head to Long Island this weekend with high winds, snow; East End could take brunt of coastal storm

Amid an unusually long stretch of extreme cold, forecasters are watching a coastal storm that could bring high winds and yet more snow to Long Island.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dominic Ramunni said there are two main scenarios forecasters are following, both stemming from a weather phenomenon called a bomb cyclone, or a bombogenesis. 

"The question really is, how close to the coast is that storm going to track?" he said. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, forecasters were more confident that the storm would track far off the East End. That area seems now more likely to get the higher winds and 3 or more inches of snow, with the rest of the Island seeing lower winds and less snow, according to weather service meteorologist Matt Wunsch.

It's also possible the storm tracks closer to the coastline, in which case "more of the Island and into New York City will be more likely to see snow," Wunsch said.

The service has been watching a storm system developing off the coast of the Carolinas that is rapidly growing into a bomb cyclone, in which air pressure drops and intensifies in the center. It produces explosive winds of more than 60 mph in the ocean and often brings blizzardlike conditions. 

Whichever path the storm takes, Ramunni said it will hit Long Island late Saturday or early Sunday into Sunday night — almost the exact same time as this past weekend's snowstorm. 

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: See the aftermath of the winter storm on LI

But even before the storm arrives, and in whatever form, Long Islanders are already dealing with an extended stretch of below-normal temperatures.

"It is the dead of winter. This is the coldest period, climatologically, for us in the year," Ramunni said. "At the same time, the average high temperature right now is around 40 degrees, and we're struggling to get half that. So it's notably cold."

The current cold snap is the worst that Long Island experienced since January 2018, when below-freezing temperatures lingered for a duration of nine days. 

"Right now, it looks like we'll probably hit eight or nine days of sub-30 or sub-freezing temperatures, basically rivaling that level of cold," he said.

"It's not necessarily record-breaking in terms of the values ... but the duration of it is what is most impressive."

The Wednesday afternoon advisory said to expect wind chills of between zero and 15 below zero the next three nights across the area.

The service has already recorded more snowfall for Long Island on average this season, with 27.4 inches, or 12.5 inches in December and 14.9 inches so far in January at Long Island MacArthur Airport.

The average snowfall recorded in the season is 32 inches — so Long Island is already ahead of schedule.

At least 15 people have died so far during the snowstorm and ongoing deep freeze in New York City and on Long Island, authorities said Tuesday.

Long Islanders can visit the Suffolk County or Nassau County websites at suffolkcountyny.gov or nassaucountyny.gov for a list of warming centers.

In addition, Long Islanders can also review important phone numbers to call in case of emergency. 

"It is dangerous," Ramunni said. "Take care of yourself in this type of weather. Even if you think you can handle it for a few minutes, it can quickly become actually quite dangerous if you're out there for an extended period of time."

Check back for updates on this developing story.