Long Island weather forecast: 3 to 5 inches of snow, sleet Saturday, Sunday

Three to five inches of snow and sleet are forecast to coat Long Island overnight Saturday into Sunday, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
The weather service issued a winter storm watch Thursday afternoon in effect from Saturday evening through Sunday morning for Nassau and Suffolk counties, plus the five boroughs and other areas of southeastern New York and northeastern New Jersey.
The storm will begin with snow falling Saturday afternoon or evening, according to Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Upton office. The precipitation will “then change over to a wintry mix — snow and sleet — around midnight,” with a lighter mix or even rain in some areas Sunday morning, Pollina said.
The roads will probably be most dangerous overnight Saturday into Sunday “when we see the heavier precipitation move in” and sleet makes any untreated roadways slick, according to Pollina.
A winter storm watch is typically issued up to 48 hours in advance of snowfall when the weather service is 50% confident an area will receive 6 inches of precipitation in 12 hours or 8 inches in 24 hours, Pollina said. Within 24 to 36 hours of snowfall, the weather service will typically update the alert to a winter storm warning if meteorologists are 80% confident in this forecast, or issue a winter storm advisory if meteorologists are 80% confident an area will only receive 3 to 6 inches of snow.
“There is still some uncertainty this far out,” Pollina said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. “There’s still that possibility that we could see an average of 6 inches across Long Island.”
Long Islanders should keep their snow boots and other winter gear near after this weekend's storm. Snow is forecast to start falling again late Tuesday afternoon and taper off that evening, Pollina said.
“The steadier precipitation will end probably around daybreak Wednesday,” but a chance of snow showers remains throughout Wednesday, the meteorologist said. The weather service is monitoring another low pressure system that could drop another dose of wintry mix on Long Island Thursday.
Wind damage on LI ... Cold Spring Harbor cuts ... Empty space, hungry commuters at Grand Central ... Mets, Yankees spring training latest
Wind damage on LI ... Cold Spring Harbor cuts ... Empty space, hungry commuters at Grand Central ... Mets, Yankees spring training latest