National Weather Service: Sunny, cold Tuesday, but temps climb through the week

You know it's been cold when a high of 35 seems positively balmy, relatively speaking.

That will be the high Tuesday, after a series of frigid days with wind chills and single digit nights, the National Weather Service said.

Monday's high was about 29 and felt a lot colder with the wind chills. Monday night will see temperatures back in the high teens and wind chill values between 15 and 20 degrees.

Tuesday will be sunny and a start a gradual uptick in temperatures so that by the weekend, it could be in the mid 50s., although there's a good chance for rain both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

For those needing shelter from the cold, Nassau County has warming centers open at Wantagh Park, Cantiague Park and Mitchel Field, officials said.

The Wantagh Park center, located at 1 King Rd., Wantagh, and Catiague Park center, located at 480 West John St., Hicksville, are open until 6 p.m., officials said.

The Mitchel Field center, located at 1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd. in Uniondale, is open 24 hours a day.

It will be mostly sunny Wednesday, although wind gusts could reach about 21 mph, and sunshine will be abundant both Thursday and Friday.

Saturday there is a 40% chance of rain for New Year's Eve and Sunday, New Year's Day is also likely to be rainy, the weather service said. 

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.”