As if we hadn't heard enough of old man winter over the past 6 months, he's back and he's preparing to make his presence felt across areas away from the coast and with higher elevation. A storm system forming off the coast will rapidly strengthen tonight into Friday morning, with moderate to heavy precipitation impacting the area overnight and Friday morning. Cold air will be hard to come by initially, but as the storm strengthens off the coast, it will become more entrained into the system. This will especially be true north and west and away from the city and the coast, where moderate snowfall accumulations are possible by Friday morning. The immediate suburbs could also see a few inches of snow as the storm ends. In the city proper and along the coast, just some wet flakes are expected currently, although a coating of snow cannot be ruled out. A  Winter Storm Advisory is in effect for some of the suburbs. The storm is expected to provide moderate to heavy rain for most for a period of time overnight as well (again, aside from the higher elevations). By Friday evening, the storm should be wrapped up across the area with conditions improving for the weekend, with temperatures rebounding into the 50's Saturday and Sunday. Featured image: Latest high resolution WRF Model snowfall accumulation forecast.

Today (Thursday): Cloudy with rain likely, rain and snow inland. High near 45. East winds 5 to 10 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tonight (Thursday Night): Cloudy with rain likely, rain and snow inland. Low near 35, colder inland. East winds 15 to 20 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Friday: Cloudy with rain likely, snow inland. Then partly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. High near 45. North winds 15 to 20 miles per hour, gusting over 25 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 80% early, 30% after 10am. 

Article by John Homenuk. Written March 28th, 2011 at 10:00am. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the upcoming weekend, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.