The warning is in effect until 8 p.m. for Long Island, New York City, and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, the weather service said.

“A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected or occurring,” the weather service said in a statement. “Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.”

Residents can expect sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts reaching 35 mph. The strongest winds will occur Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said.

Wednesday’s forecast also calls for sunny skies with a high of 45 degrees. The temperature could drop to as low as 27 Wednesday evening.

Temperatures will hit the high 40s under cloudy skies Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with wind gusts expected today and temps dropping into the 30s after sundown all week, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.

After a slight chance of snow showers Thursday morning, weather is expected to warm up under sunny skies to the low 50s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A winter storm may dump barely an inch of snow after changing over to rain Monday afternoon and then into sleet possibly mixed with snow after sundown as temperatures hold in the mid-30s, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.

Any of the white stuff that manages to stick will be washed away by rain that will continue into Tuesday, when the precipitation sweeps in with wind gusts up to 32 mph while temps hit the high 40s.

But, when spring arrives Wednesday, the forecast calls for sunny skies in the 40s with the same weather on tap for Thursday through the weekend.

Downpours Tuesday could be heavy at times and could add up to an inch of precipitation in addition to the patchy fog that should last though after sundown, when tempratures drop from the 50s into the 30s, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.

The slight chance of showers Wednesday afternoon comes when it’s expected to be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 40s. The possibility of showers continues after dark when it drops below freezing.

Thursday is forecast as partly sunny in the low 40s with gusts up to 36 mph before dropping into the 20s at night, when it will be blustery.

A mostly clear weekend is on tap after that as Friday is expected to be mostly sunny in the 40s. A slight chance of rain Saturday precedes mostly sunny skies Sunday as temps remain in the 40s both days.

The worst-case scenario for LI includes up to 60 mph wind gusts, coastal flooding and beach erosion along with a mix of snow and rain Wednesday into Thursday, according to Upton-based National Weather Service meteorologists.

There’s also a possibility the winter storm could go out to sea without impacting LI. But, if it does roll ashore, it could bring the kind of heavy, wet snow that downs trees and power lines, in turn causing power outages, forecasters warn.

Tuesday is forecast as mostly sunny with a high of 44 in the calm before the possible storm, but there’s a chance snow could start early Wednesday morning when temperatures drop down to 32 overnight.

If the storm hits Wednesday, the precipitation may turn to rain during the day when temps rise above freezing to near 40, but the chance of snow resumes after sundown into Thursday morning.

Next weekend is otherwise expected to be clear with sunny skies in the forecast for Friday, Satuday and Sunday.

The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory warning of up to 57 mph gusts that expired at 11 a.m., when the winds are expected to diminish through the afternoon. A coastal flood advisory remains in effect through 2 p.m.

The saturated ground combined with the winds increases the possibility of downed trees and power lines, according to NWS. The Long Island Power Authority reported more than 3,100 outages of their 1.1 million customers as of 10:30 a.m.

NWS said in its coastal flood advisory statement that up to 11-foot Atlantic waves combined with astronomically high tides that are more than two feet higher than usual are expected to erode ocean beaches.

LI’s barrier island’s had already been dealing with erosion issues before Superstorm Sandy decimated the dunes on Fire Island and similarly hammered Westhampton Beach, Jones Beach and Long Beach.

The chance of showers is forecast to continue Wednesday evening into Thursday before clearing up Friday to give way to a sunny Saturday and Sunday.

Monday is expected to hit a high of 44 under mostly sunny skies with the same weather on tap for Tuesday before a chance of up to an inch rain moves in afternoon and after sundown, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday is forecast to hit a high of 51 with the chance of up to an additional half inch of rain during the day through the night. The chance of showers persists Thursday as the temperatures hit 47.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be sunny with highs in the low 40s and dipping below freezing at night.

Friday night there is a chance of rain and snow, although with temperatures hitting a low of 33—just above freezing—there is not much of a threat of any white stuff sticking, according to Upton-based National Weather Service meteorologists.

The rain and snow is expected to continue Saturday morning, but little to no snow accumulation is expected. Up to a half inch of precipitation will continue after sundown as temps hit a low of 37.

A chance of rain lingers Sunday, when rain in the morning will leave mostly cloudy skies during the afternoon before another chance of precipitation at night. Sunday will see a high of 41 during the day and a low of 33 at night.

The first half of next week is also forecast to be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of precipitation and temperatures lingering in the 30s and 40s.

The track the storm will take and how much rain or snow it might bring Saturday night into Sunday morning—when temperatures are forecast to hit a low of 34 overnight—were unclear as of Wednesday, according to Upton-based National Weather Service meteorologists.

“The precipitation is forecast to be mainly rain at the coast and mainly snow inland as well as higher elevations with the possibility for moderate to significant snowfall accumulations,” the agency said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook statement.

But, forecasters warned that the system developing off the mid-Atlantic coast could intensify as it passes LI before going out to sea. Changes in forecast amounts as well as precipitation type are expected to change as the storm approaches.

The possibility of a storm comes after snow dumped by a record-setting blizzard two weeks ago is still melting. A chance of flurries is forecast for Thursday. Friday is expected to be mostly sunny with a high near 41.

President’s Day is forecast as sunny with high near 32, a wind chill as low as negative 3 and gusts as high as 34 mph before dropping down to 26 after sundown.

Up to a half inch of percipitation is likely to move in with fog Tuesday afternoon when the breeziness continues and highs will hit 47, according to Upton-based National Weather Service metoerologists. The showers are expected to dissipate before the temps drop down to 30 at night.

Wednesday and Thursday will be sunny and breezy with highs in the mid-30s and dipping into the low 20s overnight before another chance of rain and snow Friday into Saturday.