Rain, warmer temps expected this week

A surge of mild air from the Southeast means a return to unseasonably warm and damp weather for Long Island this week.

Much of the weekend snow melted or was washed away by rain Monday. Temperatures this week, including a high in the 50s Tuesday, and sunny skies and above-average warmth all week, should take care of the rest.

Forecasters called for rain Monday night and Tuesday morning, mostly before 2 a.m., ranging from a possible one-tenth to one-quarter of an inch. Areas of fog are also likely from Monday at 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Tuesday's high will be about 50 degrees, with a nighttime low of 31, the service said in its weekly forecast. Wednesday will feature mostly sunny skies as well, with a high of 41 and a low of 31.

But winds could be gusting both days. Gusts for Tuesday could reach 29 mph and up to 25 mph on Wednesday.

Thursday's high will reach near 43 and the low should dip to 28. There's a 50 percent chance that rain will return.

Also expected is a slight chance of snow showers Sunday night. The chance of weekend precipitation starting Friday and into Saturday is 30 to 50 percent.

With Patricia Kitchen