Long Island weather: Warmer days ahead after near-record cold

Long Island's on-again, off-again spring continued Sunday with overnight lows in spots that fell below freezing, and Kennedy Airport tying its record low temperature for the date.

The conditions soon improved. By about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, the high at Long Island MacArthur Airport was closing in on 70 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds.

The rest of Sunday calls for dry conditions and a low at night about 55, the National Weather Service said. The high temperature through Thursday will hover in the low to mid-70s with lows at night in the mid-50s. Sun and a high of 83 is in the Saturday forecast. The next chance of rain arrives Sunday.

Warmer days and seasonal nights return after some parts of Long Island and the region saw temperatures dip to near-record cold. At Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, the mercury dropped to 31 overnight, according to the National Weather Service, which does not have historical records for comparison at that location.

Kennedy Airport's early Sunday low of 48 tied the record set in 2023, the weather service said.

MacArthur Airport recorded a low of 43 between 2 and 3 a.m. — near the record low of 41 degrees set at Islip back on May 31, 1990, according to the weather service.

James Tomasini, a meteorologist with the weather service's Upton office, said the chill was due to a cold air mass that came down from Canada, combined with clear skies and light winds that maximized the cooling effect overnight. Clear skies meant a lack of insulation provided by clouds, and the wind allowed for cool air along the ground to mix with warmer air up above.

Tomasini said the cold air mass coming from Canada is "not unheard of for this time of year" but is unusual for this late in the spring.

He said the pine barrens — where Gabreski Airport is located — tends to be especially affected by radiational cooling during clear, windy nights because of its lighter, sandy soil.

By Peter Gill

peter.gill@newsday.com