Snow on Sunday, then the dangerously cold temps arrive on Long Island

A band of snow heading to Long Island on Sunday will be followed by dangerously frigid temperatures that may cause icy conditions, forecasters said.

Parts of northern Nassau County may receive around 3 inches of snow beginning Sunday afternoon. The heaviest of that snow is likely to happen in the late afternoon and into the early evening as temperatures begin to drop, said Jay Engle, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Upton.

Long Island’s snowfall totals are expected to dip further east. The agency’s Saturday morning briefing forecasts around 2 inches for areas around Islip and less than an inch for Montauk.

The storm’s current track has its greatest impacts hitting western of Long Island, the weather service said.

New York City is forecast to receive around 4 inches, with that total rising closer to 5 inches in parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, according to the weather service.

“If the storm track gets further east, we’ll probably get more” on Long Island, Engle said.

Then, a rush of arctic air is predicted for Monday, sending temperatures plummeting below freezing and triggering concerns about travel conditions, Engle said.

“If there’s any standing water around from any wintry mix or slight snow, it’s going to freeze pretty hard in the predawn hours,” Engle said. “It could be pretty slick as we get into Monday morning.”

The weather service forecasts highs in the 20s on Monday, with wind chill making it feel as cold as -15 degrees overnight into Tuesday. Highs for Tuesday may not rise above the teens, according to the forecast, and winds may make it feel like -10 degrees Tuesday night. During the day on Wednesday, the weather service said it’s likely to feel like it’s below 10 degrees.

“It’s going to feel pretty nasty out there,” Engle said. “We’re going to be at least 15 degrees below normal, and when you factor in the wind it’ll feel colder.”

The cold temperatures could cause pipes to freeze and burst, and people may suffer hypothermia and frostbite with prolonged exposure to the conditions, the weather service warned.