Rain gives way to clear, colder weekend for Long Island, forecasters say
The Simons family, of Westbury, hold their annual Thanksgiving Day football game amid the rain and mud in Eisenhower Park. The rain will give way to clearing skies and colder temperatures this weekend, forecasters say. Credit: Linda Rosier
Break out the hats and gloves because the first blast of cold weather is expected this long Thanksgiving weekend, forecasters say.
A weather system from Canada will bring temperatures down significantly Friday night to a low of 28 degrees inland and a few degrees warmer along the coast, said Matt Wunsch, a meteorologist with National Weather Service.
"It might catch people by surprise," Wunsch said, noting the 4-5 days of persistent cold follows a relatively warm and dry November. "It will be noticeably colder and feel like January for our area."
Thanksgiving Day rain is expected to taper off completely beginning Friday, with a chance of sprinkles Friday afternoon and a high of 48. That gives way to dry, chilly days on Saturday and Sunday.
Temperatures will be cooler, with highs in the mid- and upper 40s. Temperatures will dip to the upper 20s to lower 30s. With winds of 10 miles per hour and gusts up to 20 miles per hour, it will feel like the low to mid-20s.
Those are about 10 degrees below the averages recorded in Islip for this time of year, said Wunsch, but what makes it even more unusual is that it will last for several days.
"It’s been a pretty warm season up until this point," he said.
The arctic air will make the next few days the coldest start to December in years, according to weather reports.
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.