Long Island weather: Another shot at record-breaking temps Sunday

The unseasonably warm weather will continue Sunday with temperatures rising to the mid-60s — and perhaps setting a record on Long Island, forecasters said.

The high Saturday was 58 in Islip, 2 degrees shy of breaking the 60 degree record set on Jan. 11, 1975. 

But Central Park hit 69, breaking the record high of 63 in 1975. and LaGuardia Airport reached 66, besting the 62 in 1975.

“It’s certainly unusual around this time of the year,” said Faye Morrone, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton. “The temperature we had today — 58 degrees -— is 20 degrees above the normal high.”

And the trend will most likely continue until the end of the weekend. Overnight lows on Saturday will only fall into the upper 50s, which are more typical nighttime temperatures in late May or early June, the weather service said.

As a cold front approaches from the west overnight Saturday, it will bring with it a chance of rain and thunderstorms toward daybreak Sunday, the weather service said. Later on Sunday, the thermometer could climb up to mid-60s, potentially 64 degrees in Nassau County and 61 degrees in Montauk, which would break the record of 58 degrees on Jan. 12, 2018.

The rain is expected to clear by 10 a.m., Morrone said, and Long Islanders can expect clear skies and sunshine returning for the rest of the day.

One thing to watch out for, though, is strong gusts that at times could reach 50 mph, which could blow down tree limbs and result in a few power outages, the weather service said.

A wind advisory has been issued from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, with the strongest winds likely from daybreak through midmorning. Forecasters urged drivers to use extra caution and homeowners to secure outdoor objects such as uncollected holiday decorations. Though it will remain breezy in the afternoon, the wind will diminish after 1 p.m., Morrone said.

But the springlike weather will be gone by Sunday night, forecasters said, when temperatures will fall into the upper 20s to mid-30s overnight.

Highs on Monday will range from the mid to upper 40s. While noticeably cooler, these temperatures are still about 10 degrees above normal for mid-January, the weather service said.

Tuesday will start out pretty mild, with partly sunny skies and temperatures reaching a high of 45. But the night features a 30% chance of rain, the weather service said. There’s another chance of rain late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Wednesday and Thursday will see highs in the mid-40s to around 50 degrees, Morrone said. Friday is expected to be cooler with highs in the low 30s.

With Craig Schneider