A winter storm watch has been issued for eastern New York, parts of northern New Jersey and most of New England, where as much as 12 inches of snow may fall by week’s end, according to the National Weather Service.

The system will be the second to move through the area this week, said Lauren Nash, a weather service meteorologist in Upton, New York. The first will arrive tonight and may bring light snow to areas north of New York City, she said.

“It is pretty much going to be on and off starting tonight through Friday night,” Nash said. “There is still uncertainty where the snow-rain line is going to set up, so there is still a possibility that the city could see some flurries or light snow.”

Parts of 11 counties around New York City are covered by the watch and may receive 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of snow, including New York’s Westchester and Orange; Connecticut’s Fairfield and New Haven; and New Jersey’s Passaic, Bergen and Essex, according to the weather service.

“The best chance for snow in the city will be Friday when the low pulls away and it will wrap the cold air in,” said Rob Carolan, a meteorologist with Hometown Forecast Services in Nashua, New Hampshire.

NYC Accumulation
Carolan said the snow probably won’t accumulate on New York City’s streets and won’t amount to more than an inch.

The storm watch also extends north to the Canadian border and includes parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Areas of western and central Massachusetts, as well as northern Connecticut and southern New Hampshire, may receive as much as 12 inches of snow.

Carolan said he expects the heaviest snow to fall in an area from north of Poughkeepsie, New York, across northwestern Connecticut and western Massachusetts into Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

“Heavy snow could lead to travel issues for the Friday morning commute as untreated surfaces will be slippery with poor visibility possible at times,” the weather service said. “The snow could also be wet and heavy, presenting problems for tree branches and power lines.”

Fourteen years ago, another March 31-April 1 storm left 25.4 inches of snow in Boston and 33 inches in neighboring Worcester, according to the weather service.

Since December, 61.9 inches of snow has fallen in Central Park, the third-snowiest season on record, according to the weather service. The top snow season was 1995-96, when 75.6 inches fell in Central Park.

Boston has had 79.5 inches of snow, according to the weather service.

Next week, another large storm may pass through the area, threatening rain on Boston for the Red Sox home opener at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees on April 8, Carolan said.

(Source: Bloomberg)