A coastal low-pressure system expected to track just east of the 40/70 benchmark southeast of Montauk Point may mean a Thanksgiving snowstorm for the N.Y.- metro area, including eastern Long Island, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain on Wednesday will likely change to snow Wednesday night, though the exact track of the coastal low and timing of the changeover remains uncertain.
Precipitation should taper off from southwest to northeast Thursday morning, according to the NWS in Upton.
“There is a 30 percent confidence of reaching warning level snow accumulations across the region,” the National Weather Service said. The weather service issued a hazardous weather outlook statement this morning.
The “benchmark” is a key winter storm forecast indicator. Located about 100 miles southeast of Montauk Point, it is marked by the coordinates 40 North and 70 West. Most major east coast snowstorms pass over or near the 40/70 benchmark as they move north-northeast.
Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson said the Riverhead Highway Department is prepared for the snow.
“We have 12 trucks ready right now and will have another three ready by Tuesday,” Woodson said. “Snow fencing is about 70 percent done,” he said.
The highway department is stocked up on sand and salt supplies, too, the superintendent said. Woodson said he ordered salt early this year because he heard rumors of a looming shortage in supply. The price per ton increased more than 20 percent this season, Woodson said.
The last time the region had a significant Thanksgiving snowfall was Nov. 23, 1989, when up to 9 inches fell across Long Island and 4.5 inches fell in NYC, setting a record for that date.
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