Long Island weather: After record-breaking warmth, cold and a little snow return
With their dogs Oliver, left, and Bean along for the day, Kurt Pautch, left, and Marisa Borek, of Setauket, search for rocks, seaglass, and driftwood at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook on a spring-like afternoon, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. Credit: Morgan Campbell
A record-warm and sunny start to the weekend will be replaced with a step back toward winter Sunday, when temperatures drop to below freezing due to a cold front moving into the region overnight that could result in an inch or two of snow.
Temperatures Saturday broke records, with a high of 62 degrees recorded in Islip and 61 at Kennedy Airport, said Tiffany Fortier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Kennedy’s previous record was 58 degrees, which was set in 1966 and 2018. Islip’s previous record was 55, which was set in 1984.
A wintry mix of snow and rain could begin as early as Saturday night, which could result in as much as an inch of snow or only a light dusting, the weather service said. The biggest chance of snowfall is before 1 p.m. Sunday, but snow showers could linger Sunday night. Fortier urged drivers to be cautious of slippery spots during their Monday morning commute.
Most of Long Island will see 1 to 2 inches of snow Sunday morning before it tapers off by 2 p.m., Fortier said. Parts of eastern Long Island near Montauk could see up to 3 inches, but Fortier isn’t worried about more than that.
"Your ground temperature is warm," she said. "It’s going to take a while for the snow to stick on the ground."
Monday’s temperatures, expected to top off in the high 20s, will feel even colder than Sunday, Fortier said. The chilly weather is expected to hang around through the early part of the week before temperatures begin climbing again Wednesday. Forecasters don’t expect the warm weather to break any records, but say that temperatures could be 15 to 20 degrees higher than seasonal norms.
The weather is forecast to stay sunny and clear until Thursday, when rain is expected, which could linger through Friday.
Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.
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