Long Island weather: Rain, wind today; light snow possible tomorrow

Indoor activities may beckon on Thursday as the rain could be moderate to heavy at times — and the wind could gust up to nearly 40 mph, the National Weather Service said.
And while the daytime high will hit 50 degrees, winter is not ready to call it quits yet: The nighttime low will sink to 32 degrees and the rain could mix with snow before dawn on Friday, the weather service said, though then the skies should gradually clear.
Friday also will be breezy, with gusts hitting 36 mph, for a wind chill of 20 to 30.
And then, the arrival of spring on Saturday ushers in a fine weekend with clear skies and daytime temperatures hovering around 50 degrees.
"Tranquil conditions return for the weekend as high pressure builds in Saturday and moves overhead Saturday night, then off the New England coast on Sunday," the weather service said.
Snow, but no accumulation
Until then, look for 1½ to two inches of rain to fall between Thursday and Friday, the weather service estimated. Flooding could occur, but it will be minor because the weather has been fairly dry recently.
"There may even be a rumble of thunder as the atmosphere becomes more unstable during this time frame," the weather service said.
Long Island likely will escape with very few snow flakes.
"Little or no snow is expected for New York City and Long Island" on Thursday, the weather service said.
It added: "There is a slight chance for light snow early Friday morning for the New York City metro area and Long Island, but again, no accumulation is expected."
The stormy weather is part of what the Climate Prediction Center, part of the weather service, calls a "dynamic low pressure" system that now is bound for the East Coast after blitzing the South.
"The threat of severe weather will likewise shift eastward across much of the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic today ahead of a strong cold front," it said.
Long Island is too far north to feel the worst of the violent system, which could batter much of the Mid-Atlantic.
"A regional outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes is expected to shift into parts of east-central Georgia northeastward across South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday," the center added.
The experts said, "The entire system, and most of its impacts, should move off into the Atlantic by Friday afternoon leaving behind windy conditions in its wake along the East Coast by Friday evening."
Highs are expected to be in the upper 30s on Friday.
Then after a sunny weekend, with cool nighttime temperatures slipping to around freezing, the work week is expected to start off with clear and balmy weather.
Under at least partly sunny skies, thermometers should cling to the 50s during the day and retreat to the upper 30s at night, the weather service said.
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