Long Island weather: Current dry streak to end with heavy rain Friday

Long Island’s 18-day dry streak is set to end this Thursday as showers followed by heavy rain are forecast into the weekend.

After passing showers Thursday afternoon into evening, Long Island's forecast calls for heavy rain starting Friday morning, Newsday meteorologist Geoff Bansen said.

Heavy showers will begin as early as 5:30 a.m. and hit the East End the hardest, as a front will stall over the area.

Western Long Island is expected to receive 0.5 to 2 inches and the East End can see up to 2 to 4 inches of rain, Bansen said.

Temperatures are expected to reach highs in the mid to upper 60s.

The intense showers could cause runoff along currently dry surfaces, Bansen said.

"Think about sticking a bone-dry sponge under a faucet, right? It doesn't really absorb quickly at all," Bansen said. "But if you took a very lightly dampened sponge and then stuck that under water, it would absorb the water much more quickly."

The rain could linger past midnight, but will end by Saturday morning, Bansen said.

While an 18-day dry streak seems to balance out what felt like a rainy summer, Bansen said the stretch does not break any records.

In 2024, Long Island had a 19-day dry streak in September followed by a 21-day stretch of no rain in October.

"It’s uncommon, but it’s not a rarity," Bansen said.