Pleasant spring afternoon sees range of temps on Long Island, forecasters say

The metropolitan area was registering a mishmash of temperatures on this pleasant spring afternoon, from the mid-60s at Montauk Point to the mid-80s at Central Park.

The thermometer hit 73 briefly at a little past noon at Long Island MacArthur Airport, heading down to 70 an hour later, with afternoon sea breezes sweeping off the ocean, forecasters said.

Just around 1 p.m., Kennedy Airport was registering 72, with LaGuardia 10 degrees higher, according to the National Weather Service.

Areas of the South Shore were "a good five to 10 degrees cooler than the North Shore," said Brian Ciemnecki, weather service meteorologist based on Upton. "As the sea breeze lifts," those warmer temperatures to the north will gradually cool, he said.

With water temperatures around 46 to 51 degrees, "when the wind comes off the water this afternoon the temperatures will drop," said News 12 Long Island meteorologist Rich Hoffman earlier in the morning.

Some of the warmest temperatures Monday were expected in northwest Nassau, he said.

Hoffman said Monday night will turn partly cloudy with overnight lows between 50 and 55 degrees.

On Tuesday, clouds increase and a few scattered showers, along with some thunderstorms, are likely. Daily highs are expected to be in the low to mid-70s.

In a special statement the weather service indicated an elevated fire risk in Suffolk County for late Monday afternoon and early evening, with a red flag warning still in effect for Nassau through 8 p.m. That's as a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels can lead to rapid spread of fire, should one start.

The red-flag warning means "critical fire weather conditions are occurring," the service said.