Wednesday forecast: Clouds over Long Island, then rain washes away smoke  

Showers and thunderstorms are likely on Long Island by Wednesday afternoon after a partly cloudy morning, washing away lingering smoke that prompted a Tuesday air quality alert.

Temperatures will reach a high of 85 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the weather service, said the rain should start sometime after 2 p.m., continuing a trend of a wetter-than-usual July, before ending about 8 p.m.

"Some of those storms could be strong to potentially severe with damaging winds possible and some large hail," Pollina said.

Temperatures Wednesday night will drop to about 65, the weather service said.

Wet weather in the forecast comes after the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality alert Tuesday about the smoke, a byproduct of Western wildfires that drifted east, meteorologists said. The smoke can prove irritating and aggravate any breathing or heart problems individuals may have, especially for the young and the elderly.

As of Tuesday night, Long Island had notched 4.8 inches of rain in July. For the entire month, the average rainfall is 3.43 inches, the weather service said.

Wildfire impact

Out West, the drought and the continuing heat wave still are increasing the threat of wildfires while isolated thunderstorms and flash flooding could arise in the Lower Great Lakes and Northeast, the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center said.

Smoke from the wildfires enveloped much of the metropolitan area Tuesday, said John Cristantello, a meteorologist with the weather service.

Thanks to any downpours and a shift in the winds soaring thousands of feet overhead, Cristantello said the smoke "probably won't be as visible tomorrow."

Thursday sure sounds like a winner: it "will feature a mixture of sun and clouds with noticeably less humid and comfortable conditions," the weather service said, with thermometers during the day rising no higher than the mid-80s.

Friday should be similar, though possibly slightly cooler.

The official high of 86 degrees on Thursday will be the highest — by at least a couple of degrees — until about Monday, the forecasters said.

High pressure will "more strongly build in on Saturday with generally benign conditions and temperatures remaining near normal," they added.

Clear skies result from high-pressure systems because their falling air dries and cools.

Highs near 82 degrees are expected Saturday.

However, a cold front may usher in showers and thunderstorms as soon as early as Sunday morning, the weather service said. The odds of rain are 40%.

A high near 80 degrees is predicted.

Monday’s downpour odds are 30%, and it could well be warmer.

"A warm southerly flow ahead of the cold front will allow Monday to be the hottest day," the weather service said.

"Highs near 90 are forecast for northeast New Jersey and New York City, with 80s expected elsewhere," it said, adding higher humidity will make it feel warmer.