LI forecast: Sunny Saturday, chance of rain Sunday, Monday

Saturday is the best time to get on the road and get in some time at the beach before a chance of rain rolls in Sunday afternoon and remains a threat to wash out Labor Day.

National Weather Service meteorologist John Murray said Saturday's conditions will be dry and sunny throughout the day with highs across Long Island in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees.

The Twin Forks will see cooler temperatures, reaching no higher than the upper 70s. 

Sunday will start a bit warmer with highs in the lower 80s, Murray said. Out toward the East End, especially along the coast, highs will be in the upper 70s.

"We're looking at basically a little bit more of an unsettled weather pattern where we'll have a high pressure system keeping the area dry through Saturday night and into Sunday morning," Murray said. "Then once we get into the latter part of this holiday weekend, a cold front will be approaching late Sunday, and we're forecasting that to briefly stall near or just south of the area for Sunday night into Labor Day."

The chance of rain and thunderstorms comes Sunday starting around 2 p.m.

"The chances for showers increase late Sunday afternoon after 5 p.m. and that's around a 30 percent chance for Nassau and northwest Suffolk," Murray said.

That remains through the early morning hours of Labor Day. Temperatures Monday are expected to be in the lower 80s.

"Labor Day itself there's a 30 percent chance of showers for the first half of the day, and then that will increase a bit to about a 40 to 45 percent chance of showers for the mid- to late afternoon hours, extending into the early evening," Murray said.   

Climatologist have upgraded Long Island to a severe drought status, a product of the driest August in 17 years, officials have said.