Up to 8 Inches Expected In Some Areas During Saturday's Storm

A winter storm warning is in effect for eastern Suffolk County on Saturday as a new blast of snow gears up to blanket the entire Long Island and New York City region.

According to Joey Picca, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office at Upton, precipitation will begin to spread across the entire region early Saturday morning and into the early afternoon, beginning around 11 a.m. The winter storming warning will be in effect through midnight, with moderate to heavy snow at times and gusty winds of up to 40 miles per hour bringing "near-blizzard" conditions and poor visibility.

A mix of light snow and rain could kick off the day's snow event, especially on the South Shore of Long Island and the East End, turning completely to snow by 3 or 4 p.m. 

Snow will taper off from west to east, ending later Saturday evening.

Snowfall totals on the East End are expected to range between six to eight inches, with three to five inches expected around central Long Island, and two to four slated for western Long Island and New York City.

Snow could fall at a rate of one to two inches per hour, with visibility of less than a quarter mile.

Snow-covered roads could make driving treacherous Saturday night.

Sunday should dawn dry but colder, with temperatures in the upper 20s, down from Saturday's temps, which will range from the mid-30s during the morning and down to 32 islandwide by early evening, dipping into the upper 20s by midnight.