The city is looking at six to 10 more inches of snow on Thursday as a new storm roars up the East Coast — with small storms following this weekend.
The storm was pelting the weather-weary South with snow, ice and heavy winds on Tuesday, canceling more than 1,500 flights, knocking power out for thousands of customers in North Carolina, closing schools in Atlanta, and prompting Virginia and parts of Georgia to declare a state of emergency.
It should arrive in the city after midnight Wednesday and turn from snow to sleet and rain by afternoon, forecasters said.
“The further you get into the day on Thursday, the better chance you will see something other than snow,” AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines said.
Long Island may get less than six inches because the snow is expected to switch over faster to a slushy wintry mix. The Catskills and parts north and west of the city could get 13 or 14 inches.
At the storm’s peak, snow will likely fall at a rate of an inch an hour — “worst case: two inches an hour,” Kines said.
Even if it switches to rain on Thursday afternoon, the plunging nighttime temperatures mean that whatever’s on the ground will freeze.
“By the time we wake up Friday morning, it’s time to dig out,” Kines said.
The sun will come out for part of Friday but the high temperatures may only near 40, so major melting is unlikely. Getting around on Valentine’s Day could be a mess.