Weather

North Fork forecast calls for a foot of snow Wednesday

Update (March 20, 5 p.m.): The National Weather Service has increased the snow accumulations in the forecast for the fourth nor’easter expected to hit the area in as many weeks.

The North Fork could see 10 to 15 inches, according to Faye Morrone, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton. Previously, 4 to 7 inches of snow were expected on the North Fork.

“We have increased snowfall amounts for most of Long Island, and all of the East End in particular,” she said late Tuesday afternoon.

A winter storm warning, which calls for 9 to 12 inches in Suffolk County, is now in effect from 6 a.m. on Wednesday to 6 a.m. on Thursday.

There will be less mixing of sleet and rain in the beginning of the coastal storm, Ms. Marone said. The storm is trending “toward more of an all-snow event,” she added.

Precipitation will begin toward day break on the south shore and move north. The North Fork could start to see a mix of snow and sleet for a few hours Wednesday morning, but by mid-morning it will change over to all snow, she said.

The heaviest snow will fall around New York City, in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. The South Fork of eastern Long Island will get the lowest amounts, around 9 inches.

A coastal flood advisory remains in effect for Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m.

Originally (March 20, 7:23 a.m.): A winter storm warning is in effect for eastern Long Island from late Tuesday night through Thursday morning due to a coastal storm that will hit the Tri-State region.

The National Weather Service said the East End could see 4 to 7 inches of snow, while western Suffolk County could see up to 9 inches, during this latest coastal storm.

The nor’easter is expected to start as heavy mixed winter precipitation transitioning to heavy snow. Light ice accumulations are possible.

The heaviest snowfall will be Wednesday afternoon and evening with one to two inches per hour possible. Visibility will be one-quarter mile or less at times.

New York City, northeast New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, and southwestern Connecticut could see as much as 12 to 15 inches.

Winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour also in the forecast, with gusts up to 45 mph on the East End. There could be scattered power outages and downed trees.

The storm will bring minor to moderate coastal flooding on eastern Long Island and possible dune erosion. A coastal flood advisory is in effect from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Photo caption: The North Fork could see 10 to 15 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Upton . (Credit: National Weather Service)

[email protected]