Long Island forecast: Sunny and cold, rain/snow mix Friday

A subfreezing Monday night will be followed by a sunny-but-cold Tuesday on Long Island before temperatures gradually rise with highs in the 50s by Thursday, although a mix of rain and snow is in the Friday forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday night's low will dip to 27 degrees under mostly clear skies. On Tuesday, the high is forecast to peak at 38, dropping to 25 at night, the weather service said. It will feel even colder — between 15 and 25 — thanks to a northwest wind of 9-to-11 mph.

The weather service is warning there's a chance for gale-force winds that could make for hazardous boating conditions both in South Shore bays and in the western Long Island Sound between Tuesday and Sunday. A small craft advisory is in effect from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to Montauk Point, as well as for the eastern Long Island Sound, until 7 a.m. Tuesday, the weather service said.

"Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions," the weather service said in a statement.

Offshore wind gusts are expected to be as high as 30 knots — or almost 35 mph.

Sunny skies and another chilly day are in store for Wednesday when the high will come close to 40 with a low at night of 29, according to the weather service.

The temperature is forecast to climb into the low 50s Thursday on a mostly cloudy day with a 50% chance of rain in the afternoon. Freezing temperatures return at night when the low will dip to about 29 with a 90% chance of rain.

Friday's high will hit 58 with a 90% chance of rain. After 8 p.m. Friday, the rain will mix with snow and a low about 20. 

Daytime temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20s Saturday and Sunday, with overnight temperatures in the midteens. Sunny skies are expected both days.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”