Nor’easter expected to drop five inches or more on the East End Monday

A winter nor’easter is expected to bring between five and nine inches of snow to the northeast beginning in the overnight hours into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency, which has issued a winter storm watch and a coastal flood warning, is predicting more than a foot of snow elsewhere on Long Island. While the East End will likely see less accumulation, weather should still have an impact on schools and the Monday morning and evening commutes.

Light snow is expected to continue into Tuesday, but the bulk of accumulation is expected during the day Monday. About one to three inches is likely to fall overnight tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

“Winds could gust as high as 60 mph,” the agency said in its winter storm watch.

The snow, part of a larger winter weather system expected to impact much of the northeast and midwest, could mix with rain as temperatures are expected rise above freezing in the late afternoon and evening Monday.

It is the first major snowstorm of 2021 and the second of the season. A storm that brought close to a half-foot of snow to parts of the North Fork led to school closures in December.

Extended forecasts show it’s possible the North Fork could be hit with more snow next weekend.