NEW YORK CITY — New York City's unofficial start to summer is going to be a soggy one, with on-and-off downpours expected throughout Memorial Day weekend.
The National Weather Service is calling for periods of rain through much of Saturday, with lingering showers possible Sunday and Memorial Day itself.
Temperatures will also drop sharply to highs in the low 60s, before climbing back up on Monday.
"The seemingly endless temperature roller coaster this spring will continue through the holiday weekend with another sharp cooldown across the northeastern quarter of the nation," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Friday looks to be the best bet for getting outside before the wet weather moves in. Forecasters say skies will be partly sunny with a high near 66 degrees and light northeast winds in the New York City metro area.
Rain chances begin to increase Friday night, with scattered showers possible after 2 a.m.
By Saturday morning, steady showers are expected to develop and continue through the day. Temperatures will stay cool, with a high near 59 degrees and gusty east winds up to 22 mph. Rainfall totals could reach up to a quarter inch during the day, with heavier rain possible Saturday night.
Saturday night is expected to be the wettest stretch of the weekend, with showers continuing overnight and rainfall amounts potentially reaching a half inch in some spots.
Sunday's forecast includes scattered showers — mainly before 2 p.m. Cloudy skies will stick around with highs near 64 degrees.
The good news for holiday cookouts and parades: Memorial Day itself is shaping up to be warmer, with temperatures climbing into the mid-70s.
While there’s still a chance of scattered showers on Monday, forecasters say the day will be mostly cloudy rather than stormy.
Here’s the latest forecast for New York City from the National Weather Service:
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind around 9 mph.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 53. East wind around 6 mph.
Saturday: Showers, mainly after 8 a.m. High near 59. East wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Showers. Steady temperature around 55. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Showers likely, mainly before 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 8 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 56.
Memorial Day: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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