The weather across the Niagara Frontier won't look or feel like the ceremonial start to summer as the Memorial Day weekend kicks off with rounds of rain, wind and unseasonably cool temperatures.
The Northeast, in general, has been dealing with a serious case of weather whiplash over the last few weeks, with temperatures wildly swinging between record highs and lows. The ride will last through the weekend, with temperatures more typical of November replacing recent summerlike heat, say AccuWeather meteorologists.
"The seemingly endless temperature roller coaster this spring will continue through the Memorial Day holiday, with another sharp cooldown across the northeastern quarter of the nation," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
Widespread, moderate rain will overspread Western New York Saturday morning, reaching Central New York by afternoon.
"Unfortunately rain is going to move into Western New York beginning Saturday morning, and last through most of the day," National Weather Service meteorologist Heather Kenyon tells WBEN. "It's going to be a widespread, soaking rain, and the rain will taper off Saturday evening, then it will just turn 'showery' through Sunday morning."
The current forecast includes rainfall amounts of a half-inch to an inch across the region, with the highest amounts across the Niagara Frontier and near the NY/PA border through Saturday night.
Wind gusts up to 30 mph are expected across WNY Saturday, with the possibility of higher wind gusts, reaching up to 45 mph along the Chautauqua Ridge Saturday afternoon into this evening.
Sunday will be mainly dry, and a new weather system will keep the region mostly dry Monday through Wednesday, NWS forecasters say, with high temperatures in the 70's and low 80's. Afternoon lake breezes will keep lakeshore locations cooler. Low temperatures are expected to be in the 50s.
"The silver lining is that although Saturday is going to be cool in the 50's, temperatures will be increasing Sunday and Monday," Kenyon says. "We will likely see the mid 70's on Memorial Day."
AccuWeather.com
