Wind advisory today; winter weather coming

Just when you were beginning to feel your toes and fingertips again after days of frigid, freezing temperatures, guess what?

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Long Island, warning that strong, gusting winds could knock down tree limbs and utility lines Wednesday, causing random power outages, and predicting that more bitter winter weather awaits us -- with overnight temperatures predicted to drop back into the teens and the chance of snow showers possible on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Though the temperatures early Wednesday are hovering in the low 40s, the weather service said the wind chill makes it feel like it's in the low-to-mid 30s.

The weather service, in a wind advisory issued just after 3 a.m., said west wind of 20-to-30 mph are expected throughout the morning, with gusts of up to 50 mph likely. The impact of that wind, the weather service said, is the likelihood of "downed tree limbs and power lines and possibly weakened trees causing isolated power outages and road closures."

As of 6:30 a.m. the Long Island Power Authority was reporting just 59 outages in Nassau and Suffolk.

A wind advisory is issued when sustained winds of 31-to-39 mph are expected -- or when the weather service expects wind gusts of 46-to-57 mph. Forecasters said such winds can not only impact trees and power lines, but also can make driving hazardous. The current advisory is in effect until noon.