Freeze warning for Suffolk County as no rain is forecast for Long Island

Gardeners beware – Suffolk County could be frosty Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning.

That’s according to a National Weather Service freeze advisory issued from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday for all of Suffolk County, as well as southern Westchester County, coastal Connecticut and eastern Bergen County in New Jersey.

“Frost could damage sensitive outdoor plants. Delicate outdoor plants may die if not covered,” the weather service said in a statement.

Temperatures could drop as low as 34 degrees, and even lower in some locations on the South Fork. According to the weather service, frost may occur even if the official temperature is above 32 degrees because readings are taken from an instrument shelter four to five feet above the ground.

Sunday’s freeze warning comes days after a federal agency that monitors weather conditions moved Long Island to “moderate drought” status.

New York City issued a citywide drought warning on Saturday, directing city officials to update and prepare for implementation of water conservation plans after October saw the second-longest drought in city records dating back to 1869.

Although the chance of rain is low Wednesday, the week ahead will most likely remain dry, according to David Stark, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Brookhaven office.

“There’s nothing in our forecast right now that really shows any signs of change with this dry weather,” he said.

“There have probably been several nights since mid-October where there was some frost, but this one looks a little more widespread. That’s why everything.” [of] “Suffolk is in consultation,” he said.

Although the weather service doesn’t track historical data on the first frosts of the year locally, Stark says they generally occur in October.