Long Island weather: A stormy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
There was plenty of snow left over from last week's storm for Katherine Gulielmo, 6, of Massapequa Park, to go tubing in East Northport on Wednesday as her grandparents looked on. Credit: Newsday / Raychel Brightman
Looks like Rudolph and his reindeer friends are going to need a little more horsepower.
That’s because Santa’s sleigh won’t be going anywhere without a little more pull, after forecasters at the National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for Long Island and the metropolitan area from Christmas Eve through Christmas morning
The weather service is warning of winds between 25-35 mph with gusts as high as 67 mph possible on Suffolk's east end.
A flood watch is also in effect for the entire region with the exception of Long Island, the weather service said in its update Wednesday night.
Meteorologists warn that "damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines" while "widespread power outages are possible." Travel could be difficult, the weather service said, especially "for high-profile vehicles."
Long Island could also get 2.5 inches of rain and flooding is possible — especially in low-lying poor drainage areas — though the weather service said it appears much of the worst rain and flooding will be north and west of the Island. Minor coastal flooding and beach erosion are also possible, the weather service said.
The heaviest of the rain is expected to begin around 9 p.m. Thursday.
On the bright side this Christmas Eve and Christmas? When it comes to weather, sorry. There isn’t any. Maybe we shouldn't have expected anything less out of 2020.
Not only won’t it snow, the weather service is calling for temperatures in the high 50s Thursday, with the rain tapering off around noon Friday.
Of course, there’s still a strong possibility of ice forming Friday night, when temperatures are expected to plunge into the low 20s.
With Robert Brodsky
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
Feral cat found with rabies . . . Piano Man's last show . . . Travel to Block Island . . . Olympics opening ceremony
Feral cat found with rabies . . . Piano Man's last show . . . Travel to Block Island . . . Olympics opening ceremony
