Frost advisory for Suffolk County as no rain is forecast for Long Island
Matthew Scally, 40, of South Huntington, and his son Nolan, 16 months, walk in Heckscher Park in Huntington on Saturday morning. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Gardeners beware — Suffolk County could get frosty Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning.
That's according to a frost advisory from the National Weather Service issued for all of Suffolk County as well as southern Westchester County, coastal Connecticut and eastern Bergen County in New Jersey from 1 to 8 a.m. Sunday.
"Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered," the weather service advised in a statement.
Temperatures could drop as low as 34 degrees, and even lower at a few locations across the South Fork. The weather service says frost can occur even if the official temperature is above 32 degrees, because readings are taken from an instrument shelter positioned four to five feet off the ground.
The frost advisory for Sunday comes days after a federal agency monitoring weather conditions moved Long Island into "moderate drought" status.
New York City issued a citywide drought watch on Saturday, ordering city agencies to update and prepare to implement water conservation plans after October saw the second-longest dry streak in city records dating back to 1869.
Though there is a small chance of rain on Wednesday, the coming week will most likely continue to be dry, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the weather service's office in Brookhaven.
"There's nothing in our forecast right now that's really showing any sign of change in this dry weather," he said.
"There's probably been several nights already since mid-October where there's been some frost, but this one looks a little bit more widespread. That's why all [of] Suffolk is in the advisory," he said.
Though the weather service does not track historical data about the first frosts of the year locally, Stark says it generally occurs in October.
