STORM WATCH: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Nassau County this evening
The chance for thunderstorms with gusty winds and quick downpours will be from around 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with scattered plain rain overnight. Rain ends before 8 a.m. Saturday with drier, but colder weather for the weekend.
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NEW: A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NASSAU COUNTY FOR THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 40-60 MPH BETWEEN AROUND 6 P.M. AND 8 P.M. STAY WITH NEWS 12 LONG ISLAND FOR UPDATES.
STORM WATCH: STRONG STORM CHANCE THIS EVENING, RAINY OVERNIGHT
After a wet start to the day this morning, clouds broke for some sun this afternoon with highs around 70 degrees, but travel can be slowed at times tonight, especially early this evening as a line of slowly weakening thunderstorms approaches Long Island from the west.
Most of Long Island will avoid strong storms, but even the regular rain showers will be gusty. After 6 p.m., scattered showers and thunderstorms will be moving west to east across Long Island, and some storms could become strong. The main threats will be heavy downpours, strong winds and gusts around 40 mph, especially with any stronger thunderstorms. Keep an eye on the weather if you're heading to a high school football game or have other outdoor plans Friday evening. After around 8 p.m., while a rumble of thunder cannot be ruled out, we are mostly just dealing with periods of plain moderate rain overnight. Lingering scattered showers and periods of rain will linger into early Saturday morning, ending by 9 a.m. Much colder air will rush in behind the front, sending temperatures tumbling into the 40s by daybreak. Clouds Saturday morning will give way to afternoon sunshine. Temperatures rise from the 40s to near 54 degrees by the late afternoon.
Saturday night will be a cold one as skies clear and temperatures take another tumble. Overnight lows will drop into the 30s across much of Long Island, setting the stage for a chilly Sunday morning. Some of our colder inland locations, especially around the Pine Barrens and eastern Suffolk County, could see patchy frost. The frost potential will depend on how quickly the winds diminish overnight, allowing temperatures near the ground to fall. If you still have sensitive plants outdoors, you may want to take precautions and protect them from the colder temperatures.
The good news is that Sunday is shaping up to be a beautiful fall day, just on the chilly side. We'll enjoy plenty of sunshine throughout the day, with afternoon temperatures reaching the mid-50s. That's below average for the middle of October, but at least we'll have dry conditions for pumpkin picking, fall festivals or enjoying the changing leaves. The big weather stories this weekend will be Friday night's potentially strong thunderstorms, Saturday's gusty winds and nearly a 20-degree temperature drop, followed by the possibility of patchy frost Sunday morning. After a stormy start to the weekend, we'll finish with plenty of sunshine and some crisp fall weather.
Here is a look at the hourly projected weather conditions for Long Island below.
