LI forecast: After overnight rain, dry week ahead and a sunny, milder Thanksgiving

The holiday week will kick off with a forecast of rain for Monday morning, but conditions should remain dry and cold after that until a milder and mostly sunny Thanksgiving on Thursday.

"After Monday morning it's dry through Thanksgiving," Joe Pollina, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. But he said temperatures will probably average out to be below normal for the week.

Rain showers are likely for a cloudy Monday morning before noon, according to the weather service. The day will eventually clear up and become mostly sunny, with temperatures rising to near 52 degrees.

But in the latter part of the day, the temperature is expected to take a dive to around 46 degrees with west winds at 8 to 13 mph and a 70% chance of precipitation. The new precipitation should amount to less than a tenth of an inch, forecasters said.

Monday night will be mostly clear but drop to below freezing for one of the first times this season, an expected low of about 29. Northwest winds are expected at 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Tuesday will be sunny with a high near 43 degrees. The temperature will then drop again to around 28 with northwest winds at 8 to 11 mph at night.

A sunny Wednesday is also forecast with a high near 45 degrees. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 34.

Long Islanders can expect a mostly sunny Thanksgiving with a high near 54 degrees, the weather service said. Thursday night is forecast to be mostly cloudy with a low around 37.

Rain could return on Friday with a 30% chance of showers before 1 p.m. and the rest of the day is expected to be partly sunny with a high near 49. Friday night is forecast to be partly cloudy with a low around 30.

Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 44 degrees and at night it will be partly cloudy with a low around 32, according to the National Weather Service.

A partly sunny Sunday is expected with a high near 46.