Long Island weather forecast: Warmer temps next week
Temperatures are forecast to rise into the upper 70s next week on Long Island, along with a stretch of dry weather starting Sunday.
"If anywhere hits 80 degrees, it will probably be across northwestern Suffolk County, but just a small part of the Island would see it next week," said Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
After showers graced Long Island Thursday morning, Pollina said this year’s rainfall deficit decreased from 3.38 to 3.31 inches below normal.
As of Wednesday, the service recorded 3.9 inches of rain at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma for May — 1.08 inches above the normal amount for the month.
A slight chance of rain for Friday afternoon will grow into a 100% chance Friday night through Saturday afternoon, the service said.
Sunday will see the start of dry conditions, with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.
Temperatures will slightly increase each day until Wednesday, with highs in the upper 70s. The service forecasts a slight chance of rain Wednesday night into Thursday, but conditions will be generally dry.
Newsday meteorologist Rich Von Ohlen said the best chance of Long Island reaching 80 degrees next week would be Wednesday through Saturday.
However, local waters have recently been in the 50s, or below average for this time of year. If some parts of the tristate area reach the 80s, southwest winds blowing off the cold water would make it "almost impossible" for Long Island to reach those temperatures as well, Von Ohlen said.
"The winds technically will have come from the south, which is off the ocean — which is like the air conditioning," he said.
Maureen Mullarkey is a breaking news reporter at Newsday. She previously worked as a reporter for Patch, where she covered a range of Long Island stories on topics such as the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy and the Babylon School District abuse scandals.
