Eastern Suffolk to get first widespread frost of season overnight into Saturday

Long Island's first widespread frost of the season is set to chill greenery overnight into Saturday morning, weather forecasters said.

From midnight through 9 a.m. Saturday, the eastern half of Suffolk County will remain under a frost advisory, the first of the season, National Weather Service meteorologist John Cristantello told Newsday in a telephone interview. The advisory means homeowners should take their outdoor plants inside for the evening, Cristantello added. There is no concern of any roadway or sidewalk ice.

Saturday marks the season's first "widespread" frost for Long Island, but "there could have been patchy frost a couple times earlier this month, most likely around the pine barrens," Cristantello said. "We felt that with the temperatures, the frost would occur in a more widespread fashion, at least half of eastern Suffolk County."

Temperatures are expected to drop into the low to mid-30s by early Saturday morning, according to Newsday meteorologist Geoff Bansen.

Afternoon high temperatures are expected to reach the low 60s Saturday and climb slightly higher on Sunday, according to the weather service. Both days are forecast to be partly sunny, with evening lows dropping into the 40s.

In an email, Bansen said the frost advisory is "typical for this time of year." He added that southeastern Suffolk gets its first frost, on average, between Oct. 20 and Oct. 30, followed by central and northern Suffolk Oct. 30 through Nov. 10. The entire Island sees its share of chilled, crunchy grass Nov. 11 or later.

Saturday's frost is "probably not" a killing frost that ends the growing season, as temperatures in most areas will drop into the low or mid-30s and start climbing towards 40 by 9 a.m., Cristantello said. But some areas of the pine barrens, he added, could see temperatures "in the mid-to-upper-20s, and that would be enough for a killing freeze or frost."