Damp days possible for this week on Long Island, but Helene will steer clear

Long Island may see showers this week, starting with possible sprinkles Tuesday night, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service said that a frontal system bringing overcast skies on Tuesday may also bring light rain at night. There is also a 30% chance of rain Wednesday night and Thursday, with a 20% chance Thursday night before another predicted dry Friday and weekend.

Tropical Storm Helene does not currently have Long Island in its sights but the storm is expected to intensify as it heads for Florida. Helene is expected to be near hurricane strength once it reaches the Caribbean Sea early Wednesday, and will make landfall at the Florida panhandle Thursday night, meteorologists said.

The weather service forecasts the storm will travel north through Georgia and parts of Alabama. By Friday morning, it is expected to move east through the Tennessee valley region and through Kentucky.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Ciemnecki said Helene will have little to no impact on the Long Island region.

"We're talking about two totally separate systems," he said about Wednesday night's rain. "This is not connected to this tropical system at all."

Temperatures on Long Island will remain in the upper 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday, and will increase on Thursday and Friday with highs in the upper 70s. Despite clouds Friday, conditions should stay dry through the weekend, Ciemnecki said.

Possible showers may return Monday or Tuesday, but those are "very low end chances," he said.