Dense fog, then rain and wintry mix Friday, forecasters say

An unsettled day of weather on Friday will bring Long Island and the region a dramatic temperature change, a medley of rain, snow and sleet and potentially slick roads for the evening commute, forecasters said.

A winter weather advisory goes into effect from 8 a.m. Friday to 7 p.m. warning of conditions that could affect travel.

Thursday's warm, light precipitation will be replaced overnight and into Friday with a steady rain, and then freezing rain. By Friday evening, a wintry mix that could include snow and sleet will arrive, the National Weather Service said, and icy roadways will be a concern with temperatures dropping about 20 degrees.

"A slow moving frontal system will bring rain, changing to a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain for the area late tonight into Friday afternoon before tapering off late Friday afternoon into early Friday evening," the weather service said in a Thursday evening advisory.

"Dangerous and icy travel conditions are of primary concern for the Friday morning commute across interior NW portions of the local Tri-state area, and then Fri afternoon/evening commute for much of the area. In addition, widespread minor urban and poor drainage flooding issues, particularly along the coast, are expected late tonight into Friday morning."

The storm is the same system that made for glazed roadways, canceled flights, power outages and dangerous travel in states across the country in recent days.

It could potentially lead to more serious icing in the Lower Hudson Valley, interior northeast New Jersey, and interior southern Connecticut, the weather service said.

For New York City and Long Island, less than a tenth of an inch of ice is predicted but forecasters warned late Thursday of a possible worst case scenario for the coast in which up to half an inch could accumulate.

The rain, combined with melting snow from last week's nor'easter could also result in some flooding of roads, forecasters said, while the cold evening temperatures could freeze any standing water.

Temperatures Friday will fall through the day from the mid 40s to about 32 degrees and then to the 20s at night. Saturday will dawn sunny, but with a high of just 28 degrees, the weather service said.

Temperatures will remain below freezing on Saturday with a nighttime low of 16, rising to just above freezing on Sunday.