NEW: The streak of 13 consecutive days with high temperatures at or below 32 degrees at Islip MacArthur Airport came to an end Friday with a high temperature of 33.8. This 13-day record ties the late-December 2017 into early January 2018 streak for second longest since 1963.
ALERTS: Extreme cold warning for Nassau and Suffolk counties will be in effect from Saturday 1 p.m. through Sunday 1 p.m. Wind advisory for Nassau and Suffolk counties will be in effect from Saturday 9 a.m. to Sunday 12 a.m.
SNOW, EXTREME COLD AND STRONG WIND MOVING IN
Please use caution traveling this weekend with icy conditions from snow showers developing, paired with wind chills below zero and wind gusts up to 50 mph on Saturday.
Expect off and on snow showers and flurries overnight and through Saturday afternoon. While most of the off and on snow will be light to moderate, a couple of snow squalls are possible from around 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday. This means near whiteout conditions are possible with brief bursts of heavier snow at times. This can cover roads quickly with snow and cause slippery and dangerous travel.
Snow showers on Saturday will be off and on, but with a gusty wind developing in the morning. Even after the snow showers come to an end, visibility can be reduced to one-quarter mile or less at times with those strong wind gusts all day. Travel will remain icy and snow will be blowing around all day. Snow totals will range from mostly around 1 to 3 inches. The bulk of that snow ends during the morning, but a few snow showers can linger in the afternoon. The best chance for the higher end of those totals will be over the East End where 3 to 4 inches of snow is not out of the question. Most of Long Island is expected to recieve less than that. In fact, parts of Nassau County may get slightly under one inch, but most of Long Island will get 1 to 2 inches. There is an offshore storm that can just enhance some of the snow out east near the Hamptons, Orient and Montauk.
The next round of Arctic air arrives at the same time on Saturday. This combined with wind gusts between 25 and 50 mph will make it feel like well below zero all day on Saturday. That is dangerous cold if you are not careful dressed in layers and limiting time outdoors. The wind can also cause scattered power outages.
DANGEROUS COLD CONTINUES SUNDAY
The coldest feeling air of the weekend will be Sunday morning with wind chills around -10 to -25 degrees. This is potentially life-threatening cold if you are not careful. Cold weather-related health impacts like frostbite and hypothermia can develop in less than 15 minutes. Please avoid as much exposure to the cold during this time and dress in layers. That said, it will be dry if you are heading to festivities for the big game. Just watch out for some lingering icy conditions on the roads.
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK
It will stay dry through Monday and Tuesday with temperatures back in the upper 20s to low 30s. There is a chance temperatures could finally get slightly above freezing starting next Wednesday, with a wintry mix possible on Wednesday. There will be another chance for a wintry mix or rain in time for Valentine's Day next Saturday.
Have a great night and please stay warm and safe this weekend.