Long Island forecast: Breezy and cold today, freezing temps overnight

Wednesday’s morning clouds lack staying power and the arriving sunshine will help raise daytime temperatures to 47 degrees — though it will be breezy, with gusts hitting 20 mph, the National Weather Service’s Islip office said.

There is a chance of sprinkles and snow flurries before noon, then a chance of sprinkles between noon and 3 p.m., the weather service said.

"Other than a few light snow flakes or rain showers today, it will be mostly dry with breezy west wind," the weather service tweeted.

Night owls should brace for cold.

"Temperatures tonight will be from the 20s inland/Long Island Pine Barrens to the lower/mid-30s elsewhere," the Wednesday forecast said.

Thursday looks balmier — sunny and slightly warmer, with temperatures topping out at 50 degrees.

The mean temperaure in December is 43 degrees. The range is 28.3 to 35.6 degrees, according to weather service records for Islip that started in 1963.

The odds of rain Friday are slim — 20% after midday — and it again will be a mild 51 degrees, though downpour odds double to 40% that night, the forecasters said.

Whether a weekend storm arrives cannot yet be determined, the forecasters said, citing conflicting models about the possible mixing of a trough now over the Rockies with a large low system that should reach southeast Canada by Friday night.

"With all of this in mind, (I) have increased probability of precipitation to high chance for Saturday into Saturday night," the weather service forecaster’s analysis said. "The system if it occurs looks to move out at some point on Sunday. While most precipitation that would occur even in the stronger solutions would be rain, uncertainty exists in any wrap around and potential for wintry precipitation across the interior."

Saturday’s odds of rain, for the moment, are 50% and on Sunday the odds slip to 40%.

"Low pressure may bring a significant amount of precipitation this weekend. However, impacts are uncertain and exact amounts are uncertain at this time," the weather service said.

Temperatures over the weekend will hover around 50 degrees during the day, slipping to just above freezing at night.

Fair weather should return by Monday. Both Monday and Tuesday are predicted to be sunny, with daytime high temperatures nearly reaching the mid-40s.