The Big Apple could get a foot or more of snow this weekend as a powerful nor’easter bears down, but its exact track remains unclear, forecasters said Tuesday.
New Yorkers are “likely” to see some accumulation and high winds beginning late Friday into early Saturday, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty told The Post.
“The key point at this time is there’s going to be a big storm, but the impact all depends on where it’s going to track along the East Coast,” Douty said.
Douty said he had “pretty high confidence” that the city and areas north will be battered by snow and winds between 50 and 70 mph, but the looming nor’easter’s path is still uncertain.
“If it tracks far enough to the west, it’s going to lead to more significant impacts,” Douty said. “But if it tracks a few hundred miles further off the coast, then you’ll have the fringe effects on the other side of it.”
If the storm brings its worst, between 1 and 2 feet of snow could be dumped on the region, Douty said,
“But that’s still up in the air at this point,” Douty said, adding that the region could get just a few inches.
The storm has the potential to impact states as far south as North Carolina through Maine, with the heaviest snowfall expected across New England, particularly in Massachusetts.
“Wherever that heavy band of snow sets up, it’s probably going to be 1 to 2 feet,” Douty said.
“The only way it could be a bust is if it moves way off the coast, and there’s not a whole lot that suggests that will happen,” Douty said. “There’s going to be some impact across the [Northeast], it just depends on the magnitude.”
Douty urged anyone who is traveling this weekend to closely monitor the forecast as the week progresses — and to be ready to adjust their itineraries if needed.
“Be prepared that those plans could change,” he said. “You may want to have some alternate plans to try to avoid that Friday-night-into-Saturday-morning travel period.”
The storm may also potentially intensify into a bomb cyclone, a weather event marked by a quick drop in barometric pressure, bringing heavy precipitation and high winds.
Power outages and flooding, particularly along the New Jersey coast and into New England, are possible, Douty said.
“It’s pretty likely that it happens, but it’s a question of where it tracks,” Douty said of the nor’easter becoming a bomb cyclone. “There’s going to be a big storm, it’s just a question of where it’s going to be.”
Forecasts on Wednesday or Thursday should provide more clarity, Douty said.
