New York Weather: Risk of rain for Memorial Day weekend in 'washout' month of May

The city is set to enjoy sunny skies and highs in the 70s after weeks of gloomy and changeable weather

New Yorkers can look forward to a pleasant and sunny Memorial Day after weeks of unpredictable and wet weather, forecasters say, though they're not totally in the clear just yet.

While showers cannot be ruled out on Sunday, experts are confident that Monday will be a fine day, bringing good news for those who are hoping to enjoy their holiday outdoors.

Memorial Day can expect to see highs of 71F, with less cloud than Sunday and certainly Saturday, and with less wind than the previous days.

Only two of the last ten Memorial Day weekends have been completely rain-free from beginning to end in the city, so New York is no stranger to a shower or two over the holiday weekend. But Saturday was largely dry, despite temperatures being on the low side for this time of year.

Last week, residents of the city were hit with yet more rain when the remains of a Nor''easter storm washed in, with heavy downpours and temperatures far below that of the average for this time of year.

Typically, the Big Apple can expect an average high of 72F by this time of year, as the official start of summer gets tantalisingly closer.

But highs only in the 50s have been common over the past week, more suited to a day in March.

Combined with an unrelenting amount of rain and drizzle, many New Yorkers have been fed up with the 'washout' May, with even Mayor Eric Adams complaining that the weather had been "gross" on his social media earlier this month.

Wet weather set to return mid week

Sadly for Adams and others, that wet weather is predicted to return by mid week, next week. Wednesday through to Saturday are expected to have on-off deluges as May comes to a close much like how it started.

The rainiest May on record was in 1989, with 10.24 inches falling in total over the month. But May 2025 has certainly given 1989 a run for its money.

While the city has avoided flooding so far, largely because the rain has been intermittent rather than heavy, concerns have been voiced as the downpours keep coming.

Summer In NYC to be another scorcher

But as we move into summer experts could well be more concerned with heat, as predictions point to another extremely hot summer–like that of 2024.

Last year, the city struggled under extreme heat with more 90 degree days than the previous two years combined.

The predictions for New York mirror those of the rest of the country, where long range forecasters are expecting a "hotter-than-normal season across large swaths of the United States."

Americans in various regions of the country have been told to expect "sweltering heat, severe weather, intense wildfires and the start of a dynamic hurricane season."

Extreme heat, in New York City in particular, can be deadly with Climate Expert Brett Anderson explaining: "More people die from extreme heat than from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and cold weather combined.”