Nor’easter expected to drop five inches or more on the North Fork Monday

Update: Monday, 6:30 a.m.

A winter storm that has already dropped several inches of snow across the North Fork will continue into Tuesday morning with five inches or more still to fall, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency upgraded its advisory for the region to a winter storm warning and has said between 6 and 14 inches total could fall on Eastern Long Island. A graphic shared by the NWS early Monday morning shows the North Fork predicted to receive about 8 to 12 inches.

Wind gusts could be as high as 60 miles per hour and the snow is likely to change over to a sleet and rain mix late Monday afternoon. It could turn back to snow in the evening, the NWS said.

The winter storm has already led to the closure of all local school districts as snow emergencies have been declared in both Riverhead and Southold towns. North Fork town and village officials have urged residents to stay home if possible and to keep their vehicles off the streets.

In Riverhead, garbage pickup was pushed back to Tuesday. Both Riverhead and Southold town halls are closed Monday, as is Village Hall in Greenport.

Southold Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando said Sunday night that crews were expected to be on the roads by 1 a.m. It is likely to be a prolonged effort.

While snow remains in the forecast for Tuesday it is likely that less an inch of additional snow will accumulate, according to the NWS.

Sunday, 7 p.m.

Several North Fork school districts have announced plans to close Monday as a storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the area beginning early in the day.

• The Mattituck School District will be closed along with all before and after-school activities.

• The Southold School District also will be closed along all before and after-school activities.

• The Greenport School District will also be closed Monday with no remote learning. “Wishing our staff and student a safe day,” Greenport Superintendent Marlon Small said.

• The New Suffolk Common School also announced it will close Monday.

• The Oysterponds School District announced Monday will be a remote learning day.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Feb. 2, according to the National Weather Service, so schools could still be impacted for Tuesday as well.

Sunday, 7 a.m.

A winter nor’easter is expected to bring between five and nine inches of snow to the northeast beginning in the overnight hours into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency, which has issued a winter storm watch and a coastal flood warning, is predicting more than a foot of snow elsewhere on Long Island. While the East End will likely see less accumulation, weather should still have an impact on schools and the Monday morning and evening commutes.

Light snow is expected to continue into Tuesday, but the bulk of accumulation is expected during the day Monday. About one to three inches is likely to fall overnight tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

“Winds could gust as high as 60 mph,” the agency said in its winter storm watch.

The snow, part of a larger winter weather system expected to impact much of the northeast and midwest, could mix with rain as temperatures are expected rise above freezing in the late afternoon and evening Monday.

It is the first major snowstorm of 2021 and the second of the season. A storm that brought close to a half-foot of snow to parts of the North Fork led to school closures in December.

Extended forecasts show it’s possible the North Fork could be hit with more snow next weekend.