NYC Weather: Major Winter Storm Threatens Snow, Rain Over Weekend

NEW YORK CITY — A major winter storm is brewin' and headed to New York City over the holiday weekend, forecasters warn.

What form the storm will take starting Sunday is still — literally — up in the air, according to AccuWeather. A mix of snow and rain looks likely, but conditions could also yield a fast-developing "bomb cyclone" that drops large amounts of precipitation, forecasters warn.

“It's going to be an intense storm but maybe not reach the criteria of bomb cyclone material,” Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, said.

“Nothing’s set in stone yet,” he added.

Forecaster models have yielded many different outcomes for the storm, from all rain to significant snow, Walker said.

He said New Yorkers should be aware the storm could bring significant coastal flooding and wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph.

“I would think there would be between 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet before the changeover to rain,” he said.

The National Weather Service forecast is slightly more conservative, at least at this point. But it also doesn't promise a tranquil Martin Luther King Day weekend.

Sunday night and early Monday carry an 80 percent chance of precipitation, with a low near 27 degrees, the forecast states.

"Rain, possibly mixed with snow, becoming all rain after 4am," the forecast states.

"Snow likely, possibly mixed with rain, mainly before 1pm," the forecast for Martin Luther King Day states.

Read the most recent AccuWeather report on the potential storm here.

Here's the National Weather Service forecast, as of Thursday morning:

Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 45. North wind around 6 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Thursday Night
Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 41. North wind 6 to 11 mph.

Friday
Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 36 by 5pm. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Breezy, with a north wind 14 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 12. Wind chill values between -5 and 5. Blustery, with a north wind 17 to 23 mph.

Saturday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 21. North wind 13 to 16 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 12.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.

Sunday Night
Rain, possibly mixed with snow, becoming all rain after 4am. Low around 27. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

M.L.King Day
Snow likely, possibly mixed with rain, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Breezy.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 35.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 39.