Long Island weather: Overnight rain to affect Tuesday morning commute

Pockets of light rain could show up Monday night on Long Island, but chances for steadier precipitation pick up after midnight or so, forecasters said.

David Stark, National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, said moderate to heavier rain was expected on the Island from around 2 or 3 a.m. through 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, potentially affecting the  morning commute. But precipitation could clear the area by lunchtime. 

There's potential for 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, with the main concern for minor urban and poor-drainage flooding, the weather service said. Long Island could also see gusty winds Tuesday morning and later in the day.

Temperatures Tuesday will hold in the upper 40s during the early morning hours and later warm up to near 60 degrees, the weather service said. The airport’s normal temperatures for the day are a high of 55 and a low of 38.

Midweek, cooler air will move in. Wednesday, which will be partly sunny, is expected to warm up to the low 40s. Temperatures then take a dip to the mid-20s or so early morning Thursday before heading up to the low 40s.

Another bout of rain is expected later in the week, more likely for later Thursday into Friday, Stark said on Monday.

Should the system speed up some, there’s potential for precipitation to start a bit earlier and coincide with these colder temperatures, he said. While not likely, that means a brief period of wintry mix at the start would not be out of the question.