Winter Storm Watch Issued For Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — A winter storm watch has been issued for Long Island, with a potent nor'easter set to wallop the region this weekend.

The storm watch will be in effect from 7 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Saturday. Nearly a foot of snow is expected across the island, with the highest totals likely on the East End. Wind gusts as high as 45 mph may cause near-blizzard conditions at times.

Travel could be very difficult, the National Weather Service says. The wind may also bring down tree branches and cause power outages.

There continues to be greater-than-usual forecast uncertainty with the track of the storm, and the axis of heaviest snowfall may shift in forecast updates.

The snow will taper off from west to east by Saturday afternoon, followed by a deep freeze. Low temperatures Saturday night will be in the low teens. Wind chill temperatures Sunday morning will likely be below zero.

But there is a little hope for the snow haters out there.

"Following this storm at the end of January, we will actually see the pattern change in the East to start February," AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok says. "More rounds of warm air will surge north during the first part of February."