Long Island weather forecast: Up to 3 inches of rain Saturday
Heavy rain is expected to begin early Saturday morning on Long Island, bringing the possibility of localized flash flooding and minor beach erosion, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain is expected to start in the early morning hours and continue for six to eight hours, with up to three inches possible across the island and numbers somewhat higher farther west in Nassau County, the weather service said in a Thursday evening advisory.
The rain is expected to taper off from west to east Saturday night but there could be some lingering flooding in low-lying and shore areas, officials said.
“We’re going to have a lot of rainfall on Saturday and we’ll dry out on Sunday,” said Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the weather service in Upton. “But the winds will kick up behind it. … We are looking at scattered to widespread flood events and localized flash flooding can’t be ruled out.”
A flood watch was been issued for New York City, northeast New Jersey and portions of the Lower Hudson Valley but has not yet been expanded to Long Island, Ramunni said.
Gusting winds, minor beach flooding and scattered dune erosion are possible during times of high tide although overwashes are not expected, the weather service said.
And while spring may have sprung, the "unseasonably chilly temperatures" are expected to continue Friday under mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.
Long Islanders should expect temperatures in the high 20s Friday morning before reaching the high 40s and low 50s Saturday morning, the weather service said.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
