May has been a soggy month so far, and the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend have been damp and dreary. There’s good news, though. Weather will improve by the day through Memorial Day. In fact, by Memorial Day, New York City will enjoy sunshine and temperatures back in the 70s.
May has been a messy month, with rain on roughly half of the days. As of Thursday, Central Park had recorded over five inches of total precipitation for the month – significantly wetter than normal.
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With our last batch of rain Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures took a nose dive and held in the 50s, which is very unusual this close to summer. It felt more like late March than late May.
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Friday marks a turnaround in temperature, with highs near 60. A few spotty showers are possible, especially during the evening commute – or for those heading out of town for the weekend. This is nothing that will slow you down, just don’t be surprised if you have to use your intermittent wipers once or twice. And, if you’re not a betting person, keep an umbrella close in case you get caught in a splash-and-dash shower.
Normal late-May high temperatures in the tri-state are in the low to mid-70s. Heading into the weekend we’ll be a good 10-15 degrees below that. It’ll be more of an April feel to start the weekend.
All things considered, the weekend forecast is looking good. Temperatures will be slowly trending upward. Saturday and Sunday both stay in the 60s. These cooler temperatures come with a strong breeze, especially on Long Island. If you plan on attending the Jones Beach air show on either day, it would be a good idea to take a light jacket or sweater.
And if your plans include a trip to MetLife Stadium for a Beyoncé concert, both Saturday and Sunday night are winners. Temperatures will be in the 60s, dipping into the 50s by the time the concert ends. That’s a little cool, but nothing an extra layer (or some dancing) can’t solve. And most importantly: both nights are rain-free.
By Memorial Day, highs will finally reach the 70s again in most places. Monday will be the nicest day of the weekend. Any outdoor barbeques are in great shape; it’ll be partly sunny and comfortably warm – a lovely day to be outside, no matter what you have planned.
Temperatures at area beaches will be a little cooler, so don’t expect a summery weekend if you’re headed that way. The water temperature is hovering in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees, which tends to depress the air temperature along the immediate coast. The forecast is far from terrible, especially if you want to go for a walk along the beach or on the boardwalk. If you are hoping for sunbathing and swimming, though, we are not quite there yet.
Despite cool temperatures, the one thing this Memorial Day Weekend has going for it is the dry skies. Historically, we have had rotten luck when it comes to Memorial Day Weekend rain, so this will be a nice change. Looking back, we’ve had measurable rain on all but two of the last 10 holiday weekends. While we can’t completely rule out an isolated shower or sprinkle coming through, most of us will manage to make it through the weekend unscathed. That alone makes it a pretty decent forecast, even if our “start of summer” is going to feel a lot more like a continuation of spring.
