More warm temps to come for sun-starved LI

Long Islanders enjoyed a taste of spring Sunday, with a high of 57 degrees at Republic Airport in Farmingdale - and the National Weather Service reports there's more nice weather to come.

Sunday's maximum temperature was far shy of the record for the day, 68 degrees reached on March 7, 1987, but welcome all the same as a winter of heavy snows and hard freezes fades.

PHOTOS: LIers get a break from the cold Sunday

The sun will shine and highs will be in the upper 50s Monday, the lower 50s Tuesday and the mid-50s on Wednesday, said weather service meteorologist Gary Conte.

Those are warm temperatures for this time of year, but short of record territory, Conte said.

"We are basically enjoying early springtime weather," he said, "which is great."

Expect the run of pleasant weather to end Thursday, Conte said, when a low pressure system forming in the Southwest Sunday is expected to bring rain to the area.

The sun and low humidity, coupled with high winds, prompted the weather service to issue a "red flag" warning of the potential for brush or wildfires Sunday that lasted from 11:27 a.m. until 3:26 p.m.

Conte explained that even ground cover that has seen lots of precipitation can quickly dry and become susceptible to fire when subject to direct sun, low humidity and high winds.