Forecast: Rain, warmer temperatures for Long Island this week

Long Islanders can expect a relatively warm and very wet week, with rain falling Monday and possibly right through Wednesday.

Sunday's overcast morning is expected to turn sunny and breezy, with a high of 52, dropping to near freezing overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

After that, "It looks like a pretty good soaker," said Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton.

Wet weather is expected by Monday afternoon, with rainfall of up to half an inch. Temperatures will reach a high of about 53. Overnight the rain should taper off to a drizzle.

Tuesday morning is forecast to be foggy, with a 40% chance of precipitation for the remainder of the day. By Tuesday night the rain will begin in earnest again all across the Island, Ramunni said, with rainfall "on the order of inches by the time the storm system moves on."

There could also be "some pretty gusty winds, especially out east," Ramunni added.

The rain is expected to continue through Wednesday and possibly into Thursday morning. Wednesday’s temperatures are expected to reach 60 but will plummet to below freezing by night, which could mean snow showers rather than rain.

Ramunni said the steady rain could help make up for the record-breaking drought of September and October. The region is "starting to work back to normal as we wrap up the fall," he said.

As long as the rainfall comes slow and steady, he said, and there’s no flash flooding, this wet week "is certainly going to help."