Arctic blast headed toward Long Island this week, forecasters say

Long Islanders shouldn’t be too surprised to wake up Tuesday to some rain, with temperatures in the low 50s also in the forecast. But, hang on to those wool-knit beanies, as gusty winds and blasts of arctic air are also on the way.

Tuesday is expected to bring mild temperatures and rain, lingering into the afternoon hours, the National Weather Service said. That would amount to a tenth of an inch or less, said John Murray, National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, based on the late Monday afternoon forecast.

And then, a cold front will sweep in, followed by much colder air overnight Tuesday, which was looking at a slight chance for snow showers into Wednesday morning, forecasters say.

By just around daybreak Wednesday, temperatures should be around the upper 20s, warming up during the day to the mid-30s or so, Murray said.

Indeed, well below normal temperatures can be expected from Wednesday through Friday, said Rich Hoffman, News 12 Long Island meteorologist. Normal highs for those days would be 44 to 43 degrees, with 29 and 28 for lows.

Gusty winds also enter the picture, with potential for up to 43 mph gusts Wednesday afternoon on Long Island. That means temperatures, which are expected to reach the mid-30s, will be feeling much colder, thanks to the wind chill.

With continuing breezy conditions, temperatures overnight Wednesday were forecast to dip to the low 20s, with similar temperatures for Thursday.