Long Island forecast: Bitterly cold snap overnight into Saturday

Bundle up on Saturday, Long Island — or better yet, stay home — as the coldest temperatures all season are expected across the region.

The bad news: Saturday morning's temperatures could be dangerously cold, reaching the low single digits, with wind chills near 20 below zero in some East End areas after gusts of up to 45 mph overnight.

The good news: The cold blast is expected to come and go quickly, and by Sunday winds are expected to dissipate and the real temperature could be as high as 45 degrees.

"Obviously, it's pretty windy out there right now, with temperatures dropping," said National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey on Friday. 

A low of 3 degrees was forecast in Upton on Friday night. 

Highs should reach the low to mid-20s on Long Island Saturday, though the wind chill could make it feel like 5 to 15 below zero, the National Weather Service said. Northwest winds are forecast to be 9 to 14 mph.

The more serious wind chills will be in Suffolk, Ramsey said, with the coldest wind-chill temperatures expected from far stronger gusts on eastern Long Island.

A wind chill advisory — a less cautionary notice than a watch or warning — has been issued for the East End through 9 a.m. Saturday. Western Suffolk and Nassau County are not affected by the advisory.

As of Friday night at 7:25, the wind did not appear to be causing major power outages across the region. PSEG Long Island's outage map reported 74 active outages scattered across the Island, affecting 1,946 customers.

Warming centers open

Dr. Audie Liametz of NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island said hypothermia and frostbite are major concerns for individuals exposed to the cold for too long.

"As the temperatures drop, it doesn't take long for your body to cool down," he said.

Warming centers will be open this weekend across the Island, including at senior centers throughout the Town of Hempstead; Cantiague Park in Hicksville; Wantagh Park Community Center; Mitchel Field in Uniondale; the Clark Gilles Arena at the Dix Hills Ice Rink; the Town Hall Annex in North Babylon and the Riverhead Senior Center, town and county officials said.

In Suffolk County, the Office of Emergency Management will be operational over the weekend to respond to emergencies, officials said.

Anyone in need of shelter in Suffolk is encouraged to call 631-854-9100. In Nassau County, anyone in need of assistance can call 866-WARMBED.

Long Island Rail Road station waiting rooms will be opened earlier and will remain open overnight during the cold snap, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Friday.

Keep pets inside

The SPCA, meanwhile, is reminding Long Islanders of how dangerous the cold can be for pets.

In an advisory Friday, the SPCA warned: "Temperatures below freezing and dropping to single digits overnight — making it unsafe and even deadly for pets. Keep all pets indoors."

Both the Nassau and Suffolk SPCAs warned that it can be a crime to leave your pets outdoors in extreme temperatures.

In areas such as the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, pets cannot legally be left unattended for more than 30 minutes when the temperature is below 35 degrees — or when the National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory, watch or warning. In the Town of Hempstead, the temperature minimum is 36 degrees. Similar statutes exist in Suffolk.

And, the SPCA warns, any outdoor breed-appropriate shelter must be insulated, elevated, and waterproof with a flap to prevent wind, snow and any other exposure to the elements.

Warmer temps coming

The arctic cold won't last long.

Warmer air should move in overnight Saturday, and by 5 a.m. Sunday, temperatures will have risen into the low 30s, the weather service said.

"This year, the only other event we've had would be that system around Christmastime," Ramsey said. "But that lasted longer. This will push out relatively fast."

Temperatures should rebound to around 50 degrees by Thursday, when there is a slight chance of rain.

With Cecilia Dowd