Fall-like weather arrives early this week

Fall's just a week away, but Mother Nature couldn't wait.

Long Island will see some decidedly autumnal temperatures this week, with both highs and lows dipping below average, said Lauren Nash, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Upton bureau.

Highs for the upcoming week will reach only into the upper 60s to low 70s, Nash said.

Sunday night will be the coldest of the week, with lows in the mid-40s in the Pine Barrens and low 50s on the rest of the island.

From Monday through the rest of the week, expect lows in the low to mid-50s, Nash said.

The chilly weather is thanks to dry weather and high pressure, which is bringing northerly air from cooler regions, she said.

The only chance of precipitation this week comes on Tuesday, with a 50 percent chance of rain through Tuesday night, Nash said.

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"Overall a pretty nice week, a pretty fall-like week," she said.

But while the temperatures are cooler than normal now, that doesn't necessarily translate into an Arctic winter ahead, Nash said.

"These are more like your weekly patterns," she said of the forecast.