Long Island weather forecast: Clear and warm but rain coming

Tuesday afternoon’s sunshine and mild temperatures may be short-lived, as the National Weather Service forecasts more rainy, gray days and lower temperatures later this week.

  Rain had been projected to taper off late Monday evening before catching a second wind overnight, meteorologist Dominic Ramunni with the National Weather Service’s Upton office said.

“I think [Tuesday] morning’s commute is largely dry, although there might be some lingering mist and fog around,” Ramunni said. “Just after lunchtime into the midafternoon, I think that’s when we’ll see the skies clear out and sunshine break out.”

High temperatures will hover in the lower to mid-50s Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service predicts. The rain is predicted to return late Wednesday afternoon as temperatures remain “mild” for mid-December, Ramunni noted.

“We start to fall back to winter reality Thursday,” when the sun will shine but temperatures are predicted in the 40s, the meteorologist added.

While the weather service forecasts a chance of rain then a chance of snow as Friday progresses, Ramunni said he does not want “folks to get too excited” as he is not expecting any accumulation.

“There is the potential for maybe some passing snow showers or some flurries, but it’s not looking like a major storm or anything like that at this point,” he said.

Even under mostly sunny skies, Long Islanders will want to bundle up this weekend, as Ramunni projects Saturday temperatures in the low to mid-30s.

“Sunday, I don’t think we’ll get out of the mid-20s,” he added. “It’s going to be brutally cold as we start Christmas week.”

Thursday should be mostly sunny but Friday will bring a chance of rain after 1 p.m., according to the weather service.