Long Island to get much-needed rain, National Weather Service says

Long Island and New York City are expected to get a much-needed soaking this week while the region remains under a statewide drought watch.

The forecast calls for Long Island to receive about an inch of rain starting Wednesday night, with showers potentially lasting through Friday night.

"The steadiest rain will come Wednesday night through Thursday. We do carry a likely chance Thursday night through Friday and trending down by Friday night and Saturday morning," said James Tomasini, National Weather Service meteorologist. "I imagine it will bring some relief with a good wet rain, but I’m not sure how it might impact the drought."

The forecast comes as most of Long Island is listed under a moderate drought and parts of western Nassau County and New York City are under a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Nassau County recorded the driest October on record and Suffolk County the second driest October in 130 years, according to   the Drought Monitor.

It’s unclear how much the rain is expected to affect drought conditions, according to forecasters. But it is, at least, expected to bring some relief to the dry conditions that have made brush fires proliferate in recent weeks and spurred Gov. Kathy Hochul to ban outdoor burning until Nov. 30.

"It’s going to ease conditions, but anything less than an inch is not going to do a lot," Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said. "It really needs a good soaking. It’s not just what’s dry on top, but everything underneath with old leaves and branches, especially in the forested areas."

This week’s forecast calls for rain to begin about 10 p.m. Wednesday and linger through Thursday afternoon. High wind gusts could top out at about 35 mph.

There is an additional chance for light rain to continue Friday and parts of Saturday, caused by a low-pressure system, Tomasini said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.