Long Island weather: Storms expected Tuesday with high winds

A fast moving line of scattered showers and thunderstorms is expected to move through the tristate area Tuesday afternoon, bringing damaging wind gusts that could last into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said Monday.

The weather service is warning that the high winds could down some trees and cause power outages. Sustained northwest winds of 20 to 25 mph and wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected, the weather service said.

There is a wind advisory issued from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday for the region. 

The storms are expected after 3 p.m. Tuesday. Tuesday night will see blustery temperatures with a low of 31 in some places and wind chills of between 20 and  30 degrees, the weather service said.

All of which brings us back to clear and sunny skies Wednesday, when highs are expected right around 50 degrees, the weather service said.

But wind chill values will be between 20 and 30 early in the day and it will still be breezy with a west wind of 20 to 22 mph, and gusts as high as 33 mph, forecasters said.

It'll be sunny Thursday, too, the weather service said, before overnight rain carries through from late Thursday into Friday, which is expected to be rainy all day.

A small craft advisory is in effect for all South Shore ocean waters until 6 a.m. Tuesday, with a gale watch in effect from Fire Island Inlet east through Moriches Inlet from Tuesday morning through to Tuesday night, the weather service said.

A frost advisory also is in effect for eastern Suffolk from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. Tuesday, with forecasters stressing that "frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered" — and warning those affected: "Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”