NAM Model showing temps in the mid to upper 80's on Monday

Record high temperatures were set this weekend at several reporting stations throughout the area. Islip, New York recorded a temperature of 85, breaking the old record of 78 set in 1990. LaGuardia Airport also reached a record 85 degrees, breaking the old record of 84 from 1959. However, Kennedy Airport and Newark Airport were warmest, setting record temperatures of 87 and 88 degrees respectively. The old record at Kennedy was 82, from 1961 while the old record at Newark was 87, from 1990. The record warmth throughout the area is a direct result of a large mid and upper level atmospheric ridge, which has built in over the holiday weekend. The ridge is so anomalous, in fact, that many areas throughout the Northeast US (including our area, obviously) have reported temperatures near 20 degrees above normal averages. The high pressure in dominant control has allowed for precipitation to be a non-factor as well. It literally felt like a late-summer afternoon out there on Sunday (average highs in August are near 86-88 degrees). Monday should feature similar weather, with temperatures in the middle 80s and west winds as well as blue skies and no threat for precipitation. Enjoy it while you can, it's likely the last of this weather we'll be seeing for the next six months.

THE FORECAST...

Today (Monday): Sunny, with a high near 85. Another absolutely gorgeous and unseasonably warm day (temperatures near 20 degrees above normal averages). West-northwest wind around 5 mph.  Enjoy the day--short sleeves and shorts will do!

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. North wind between 5 and 10 miles per hour. A bit cool, but nothing compared to the past several nights of lows in the 50's. Very comfortable.

Article written by JH. Published October 10th, 2011 at 12:56am. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the upcoming work week, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.