Long Island weather: Sunshine Tuesday, chance of minor snowfall, wintry mix later in week
Salim Uysal pulls his daughter Eslem, 10, on a sled along Mooney Pond Rd. in Selden on Feb. 23, 2026. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
The blizzard that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in places and battered Long Island with hurricane-force winds dwindled Monday evening, with sunshine expected Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
A high in low 30s will allow for a day to clear out some of the snow, and the extreme cold that accompanied the aftermath of January's storm won't be a factor this week.
But Long Islanders could see a wintry mix of snow and rain both Wednesday and Thursday despite daytime temperatures that could reach into the low 40s.
The morning rain and snow Wednesday are expected to change to all rain after 10 a.m., forecasters said. The snow "will not be anything substantial," said meteorologist Matt Wunsch, with the weather service's Upton office.
"In terms of accumulating snowfall, it will be less than an inch for the island," Wunsch added.
A chance of rain and snow returns Thursday after 1 p.m. with increasing clouds and a high near 40. Thursday and overnight into Friday, a "weak system" the weather service is currently tracking could bring more snow as it passes Long Island to the south, Wunsch said.
"We don't have any snow totals yet, but maybe we'll pick up maybe an inch or two at most," the meteorologist added. "It's nothing particularly concerning, at least at this point."
Friday and the weekend show signs of clearing, with temperatures well above freezing, the service reported.
The National Weather Service recorded 29.1 inches of snow at 1 p.m. at Long Island MacArthur Airport, breaking the 27.8-inch record set in 2013.
However, weather service meteorologist Jim Connelly said, "for it to be official, there's going to be review at the local and regional level."
The weather service reported winds as strong as 84 mph had been recorded in Montauk, with winds of 74 mph recorded in Stony Brook. Both measurements would qualify as a Category 1 hurricane.
Forecasters reported wind gusts of 54 mph in Islip and 53 mph at Republic Airport in Farmingdale.
Widespread moderate coastal flooding was expected for all coastal areas at high tide, the service said, along with some dune erosion and overwashes along some ocean beachfront areas.
A coastal flood advisory is in effect for much of Long Island for Monday's high tides.
Newsday's Nicholas Spangler and Nicholas Grasso contributed to this story.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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