The National Weather Service has upgraded the Blizzard Watch to a Blizzard Warning for Long Island and the New York Metro Area from 1 PM Monday afternoon until 12 AM on Wednesday morning. In their latest update, the NWS's prediction for snow has risen to 24 to 36 inches of snow across the Island, with snowfall at a rate of 2-4 inches per hour. High winds of 30-40 MPH are expected as well, with gusts of approximately 55-65 MPH, with the strongest winds occurring out on Eastern Long Island.
Monday morning, locals can expect light snow with accumulation of 1 to 3 inches by the early evening - the majority of the snow accumulation is expected to take place after midnight on Monday into Tuesday afternoon.
The NWS warns that these are life threatening conditions, and travelling during the blizzard is extremely dangerous due to white out conditions, and strong winds, which have the potential to take down tree limbs and power lines. Unnecessary Travel is strongly discouraged beginning Monday afternoon due to the serious nature of Winter Storm Juno, and locals are urged to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Also in effect for Northern & Southern Long Island from 3 AM - 7 AM Tuesday Morning (during high tide) is a Coastal Flood Watch. There is a potential for 3 to 4 foot surges above the tide, with the possibility of surges 4 - 4 1/2 foot above astronomical tide. Coastal areas have the potential for serious flooding, and there is a likelihood of closures for several shore roads.
Although only a few School Closings & Early Releases have been announced yet, be sure to check our Long Island School Closures Page for the latest updates on your local district closings.
For the most up to date weather information, head over to the LongIsland.com Weather Center, where you can find the latest weather forecasts, advisories and more.
To get the latest traffic & road conditions before traveling, visit the LongIsland.com Traffic Center, and be sure to check out the live traffic feeds on our Traffic Cams Page.
[Sources: NWS.]
Photo via the NWS's Official Facebook Page.
