Blizzard Warnings Expanded Through New Jersey and Connecticut! (credit: NWS New York, NY)

DISCUSSION: As the remaining time until the first snowflakes begin to fall across the New York City metropolitan area continues to shrink, some forecast details are gradually coming better into picture.  As of just after 4:00 PM EDT, the National Weather Service located in Upton, New York expanded the extent of the Blizzard Warnings across their coverage area.  This specifically means that areas across Long Island and now across northeast New Jersey as well as across southwest Connecticut there will be a legitimate threat for blizzard conditions during the course of the upcoming snowstorm.  As noted in the graphic attached above, there is a high-confidence threat for damaging wind gusts along the immediate coastlines on the south shore of Long Island.  In addition, there will also be a threat for beach erosion (especially along the south-facing west-to-east oriented coastlines).  

It is imperative to note that the heavy snowfall threat will still remain.  Therefore, if you or someone you know is in the path of this upcoming snowstorm, be sure to urge them not to travel under any circumstances.  This is due to the fact that the combination of strong winds and heavy snowfall will still create a high-confidence threat for whiteout conditions for a prolonged period of time (especially across the areas placed under a blizzard warning).  Hence, this storm will make for incredibly dangerous travel conditions and should not be tested under any circumstances.  However, areas positioned even just outside of the blizzard warning region could still experience near-blizzard to all-out blizzard conditions during the course of the early to late morning hours tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more updates on this storm both right here at the Global Weather and Climate Center website as well as on our Twitter account which can be found through the following link!

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across North America, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz