Forecast: Long Island facing two days of severe cold; temperatures in single digits

Long Island is bracing for another day of below-freezing temperatures Tuesday as an arctic air mass will continue to bring severe winter conditions into Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

Tuesday morning saw temperatures in the single digits or high teens. The coldest area on Long Island being Westhampton at 1 degree, Bill Goodman, NWS meteorologist said.

The North and South shores may see temperatures in the mid-teens to 20s Tuesday morning, but other areas may see single digits. Montauk Airport recorded a temperature of 20 degrees around 7 a.m.

“It depends where you’re at,” Goodman said.

Thankfully, he said, gusts won’t be as strong as Monday, with winds around 8 to 11 mph.

Temperatures will reach highs in the low 20s on Tuesday.

Tuesday night, temperatures will plummet, with lows in the single digits to upper teens. Wind chill values will make some areas feel as low as zero degrees.

Goodman said that if one’s skin is exposed to this kind of weather for a long period of time, you risk getting frostbite “pretty quickly.”

“We just have to remind ourselves go outside and just bundle up,” he said. “Throw extra layers on, maybe double up on the socks, all that kind of good stuff, stay warm. It’s amazing how just a little bit of that makes a difference.”

Wednesday will be the last day of the arctic air mass and will have similar conditions.

Goodman said when temperatures go this low, be sure to take precautions when going outside and inside your home.

“One big concern with an air mass this cold is that people have to worry about pipes freezing in the house,” he said. “It’s always a good idea to leave a trickle of water running on, if you’re if your house is susceptible to that.”

Temperatures will reach above-freezing for the first time this week on Thursday, with highs in the low to mid 30s.

The region will generally stay dry this week until Monday, when forecasters say there’s a slight chance of snow showers.