Hurricane Sandy: How Will 'Frankenstorm' Affect Northeast Ohio?

UPDATE, Sunday 4:35 p.m. - The high wind watch is now a warning. Please click here for more information.

Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall in New York or New Jersey Tuesday, but the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service expects this region to see the effects as early as Sunday night.

Meteorologist Marty Mullen said that our region's greatest impact will likely be high winds beginning Sunday night and lasting as long as into Tuesday.

More: Red Cross Gives Tips to Prepare for the Storm

Sustained winds from the north, predicted to be 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, could knock down tree branches and down power lines, Mullen said. 

Because of the unusual track of the storm and the likelihood that they will be sustained for days, the risk for trees and branches to break under the pressure is more likely, he added.

A small chance exists for us to see some snowfall early next week, he added, though it's more likely in higher elevations like Ashtabula and Youngstown.

But that's a worst-case scenario, Mullens said.

He said that residents should secure lawn furniture, trash cans and other items that could blow around before Sunday evening.

Track the storm's path at the National Hurricane Center.

Click here for a local forecast.