Rain, thunderstorms wash out some NYC Memorial Day events

Morning fog gave way to scattered showers as afternoon and evening thunderstorms beset the New York City area Monday, delaying air traffic and washing out some events.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had forecast potential localized flash flooding and some severe thunderstorms, and for the most part, the day lived up to that assessment.

Storms snarled plane traffic Monday as flights at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark airports all experienced severe-weather delays ranging from a few minutes to three or more hours , with off-and-on ground stops and other delays .

Amid occasional downpours, intrepid New Yorkers marched in parades, determined to honor the country’s fallen soldiers.

“We march rain or shine,” the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade website proclaimed, under its motto, “ Rain or shine since 1927 .”

The same was not true in Connecticut and Pennsylvania , where numerous parades and other events were canceled.

Most of the soggy activity happened during the afternoon into the evening, so events held in the morning were pretty much safe. At least one outdoor concert had to be canceled since it was slated to start smack dab in the middle of a downpour. The annual concert by the ISO Symphonic Band at Third St. would have featured music that paid tribute to those who gave their lives in the armed forces. The event is held each year in Green-Wood Cemetery.

“Alas, Mother Nature wins!” Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery announced on social media at about 10 a.m. “Due to inclement weather, we must reluctantly cancel our annual Memorial Day Concert .”

The northwest New York City metro area had been warned to expect thunderstorms that could also pass through parts of Long Island and southwest Connecticut later in the day.

“Wind gusts in excess of 58 mph could damage trees and power lines,” meteorologists stated. “Hail around 1 inch diameter may occur resulting in minor damage to motor vehicles.”

The toughest travel times were expected to fall between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Temperatures hovered around 70 degrees Monday. The remainder of the week is expected to be mostly sunny. The Weather Channel predicted temperatures will near 80 degrees Tuesday.

Despite the relatively dry weekend preceding Memorial Day, it’s rare for the New York area to make it through all three days of the holiday period without rain, according to NBC’s Storm Team 4.

While Memorial Day weekend was sunny in 2023, eight of the nine preceding three-day weekends saw some wet weather.