Memorial Day Weekend Starts Out Wet, But Ends On A High Note

The last day of the workweek looks like a bummer, but on a positive note, we DO need the rain. Don't let today dampen your spirits.

We may not see much sun to begin the holiday weekend with a chance of early drizzle Saturday but there will be a lot of dry time.  Lingering clouds Sunday with quieter conditions.  Memorial Day promises to be the best day of the weekend, with more sunshine, and milder conditions.

The 4 Warn 4 Cast from the meteorologists at NEWS 4 (WIVB-TV) calls for:

TODAY: Cloudy, Cold, Windy, Rainy, tapering to scattered showers late, High: 48-53.

SATURDAY: Cloudy, Chance of Drizzle, High: 59.

SUNDAY:  A bit better Mostly Cloudy, Mainly Dry, High: 67.

MEMORIAL DAY MONDAY: Becoming Sunny, Pleasant, High: 70.

We often refer to Memorial Day as the "unofficial start of the Summer season", even those Summer doesn't actually arrive for another month.

So how will this Memorial compare to the records for Memorial Day in Buffalo?

The warmest Memorial Day on record in the "Queen City" was in 1944 when the temperature reached 87 degrees. While the coldest Memorial Day boasted a frosty 34 degrees in 1961.

On average Memorial Day in our area should be around 70 degrees with a low of 52 degrees, and if we look at last year it reached 84 degrees on the holiday.

Thankfully in Western New York, it has never actually snowed on Memorial Day. That being said, it has rained quite a bit. In 1993, 1.61 inches of rain fell, breaking the record for the most rain on Memorial Day.

So take advantage of today's inclement weather to finish up your workweek, Saturday can be planning, get out the patio furniture day...Sunday will be for last-minute running around, with Memorial Day Monday being the day you celebrate outdoors with sunshine and mild temperatures.