Powerful winter storm strikes Nassau County

A powerful winter storm was expected to roll into the greater metropolitan area sometime early after midnight on Thursday morning, bringing with it snow, frigid temperatures and heavy winds.

Most parts of Nassau County were expected to receive five to eight inches of snow, with localized totals as high as 10 inches, while Suffolk could see up to a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather forecasters warned that the storm system could shift off its current track. If it were to veer farther east, into the Atlantic, snow totals could be smaller. If it were to steer to the west, however, snow totals could be higher for all of Long Island. At press time on Wednesday night, it appeared increasingly likely that the storm would track to the west.

As a result, Valley Stream school districts closed for Jan. 4. Hofstra University canceled classes as well.

The extreme cold will be worrisome on Thursday, according to the NWS. The temperature could drop to as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and as low as -5 degrees, with the wind chill factored in. Winds could gust to as high as 40 miles per hour.

More as this story develops.