ACCUWEATHER: Snowy, messy Friday

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The first widespread winter storm of the season is on its way.

Winter storm warnings have been posted for areas north and west of the city. A winter weather advisory is in effect for the city out onto Long Island and also along parts of the Jersey shore. Tonight will be quiet with increasing cloud cover. Lows will get down to around freezing in the city and in the 20s in most suburbs.

Snow and mixed precipitation will spread into the area between 7AM and 10AM on Friday. Areas over central NJ will get the snow/ice first, and then it'll spread into the city around 9AM and out onto Long Island thereafter. Here's a breakdown of what we're expecting for various parts of the Tri-State area:

New York City, Long Island, Jersey Shore:
Snow will mix with and change to rain for a time before changing back to snow Friday night. 1"-3" will be common, with the 3" amounts closer to the city and the 1" amounts south of Staten Island. There will be little if any accumulation south of Belmar, where much of the storm will be rain.

North of the Tappanzee Bridge:
Mostly a snow event with 6"-12".

The storm will begin to wind down Friday night, with snowfall becoming lighter, but it'll still be snowing a bit Saturday morning across much of the area. This lingering snow could add an additional inch to the accumulations regionwide. Saturday will also be very cold, with temperatures in the 20s all day.

Another storm is on the way for Sunday, and at this point it looks like a mix of snow, sleet, and rain. Much colder air moves into the region for early next week, with highs struggling to get out of the 20s.

Have a great night, and be safe tomorrow!

Meteorologist Jeff Smith

Your AccuWeather Five-Day Outlook:

Friday:Snow, sleet and rain. High-42, Low-34.
Saturday: Some sun. High-32, Low-26
Sunday: Mixed bag. High-34, Low-26.
Monday: Clearing and cold. High-35, Low-23.
Tuesday: Sunny, cold. High-32, Low-26.

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