NEW YORK CITY — Strong gales and and heavy snow are headed for New York City, forecasters said Thursday.

A hazardous weather alert has been issued for 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, when gusty winds could blow at speeds of up to 50 mph, the National Weather Service said. City officials warned New Yorkers to be cautious moving around the city Thursday as forecasters warned falling tree branches and power outages could result.

.@NWSNewYorkNY Wind Advisory issued for NYC: On 1/16 from 9 AM to 7 PM. Use caution when walking, biking, or driving. Info: https://t.co/ZGkKsz9oMq. Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/ZIyzyFVxUO.

— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) January 15, 2020 While Friday is predicted to be sunny, Saturday will bring a blanket of snow with up to two inches accumulating mainly after 1 p.m., said forecasters.

Subscribe to the New York City Patch to receive weather updates and breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Saturday night is expected to be rainy but the rest of the long weekend looks sunny and clear with temperatures between 22 and 40 degrees, forecasters said. Related:

Thursday

A 20 percent chance of rain before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Windy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 47 mph.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 24. Wind chill values between 10 and 20. Windy, with a northwest wind 25 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Friday

Sunny, with a high near 32. Wind chill values between 10 and 20. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 20 mph.