A nor’easter with heavy winds and strong rain is making its way toward Long Island for the second time since Superstorm Sandy.
Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate as Wednesday goes on, and the National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning from 4 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday and a coastal flood advisory Wednesday night and Thursday morning during high tide cycles.
According David Stark, a meteorologist with the NWS in Upton, Long Islanders will start to see a snow/sleet mix by early to mid-afternoon Wednesday. Stark said that the latest forecast indicates that there won’t be significant accumulation, as the precipitation is expected to switch over to heavy rain Wednesday evening before tapering off Thursday morning.
The rain will bring heavy winds with it that will linger into Thursday afternoon, according to the forecast.
“We are looking at the potential for wind gusts between 50 to 60 mph across Long Island,” Stark said. “We may start seeing gusts of 40 to 50 mph around sunset, and increase to 60 mph some time around midnight. Winds should start to diminish tomorrow morning temporarily and then in the afternoon tomorrow we’ll see winds again gusting 30 to 35 mph in the afternoon.”
There is also a potential for minor coastal flooding on South Shore and moderate coastal flooding on the North Shore during high tide Wednesday night. High tide will be between 8-10 p.m. on the South Shore and 9-11 p.m. on the North Shore. There is a chance for minor coastal flooding during high tide Thursday morning as well.
Stark said that the brunt of the flooding is expected to be on the North Shore in western Suffolk and all of Nassau County.
“The moderate situation that we’re expecting on the western Long Island Sound may be slightly more significant than just the vulnerable spots,” he said. “That’s a little bit of a concern as well.”
Friday’s forecast is sunny with a high of 41 degrees, but the possibility of snow and rain will return for Saturday and Sunday.
