Long Island forecast: Rain on tap for Tuesday’s commute

Better prepare for a rainy commute Tuesday morning.

Monday’s dry skies are set to give way to a stretch of unsettled weather, with around an 80 percent to 90 percent chance for showers Tuesday from mostly the early morning to early afternoon hours, the National Weather Service said.

Rain could be starting and tapering off a little later as you move toward the East End, said Jay Engle, a weather service meteorologist based in Upton.

In all, about a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of precipitation is possible, he said — but look for temperatures in the mid-70s.

“Dry Monday and then unsettled going into the weekend,” News 12 Long Island meteorologist Rich Hoffman said.

The cold front, approaching from the west early Tuesday, likely will linger just offshore through the end of the week, resulting in a period of unsettled weather that includes a chance of showers, the service said.

The rain is welcome, Engle said, given the area’s precipitation deficit.

Most of Suffolk and the southeast corner of Nassau remains in severe drought after months of below-normal precipitation. “Severe” is the U.S. Drought Monitor’s third of five categories, with exceptional drought being the fifth.

As of day’s end Sunday, Long Island MacArthur Airport had registered 2.54 inches of rain so far this month — 0.40 of an inch below normal for those 25 days in September.