The unofficial start of summer on Long Island? Typically not so hot

For more than a decade Josh Timlin has spent part of the long holiday weekend camping with friends at Smith Point County Park on the Fire Island barrier beach. By now they know the drill.

"We have all learned over the years that it's better to pack a hoodie than a bathing suit for Memorial Day weekend," said Timlin, a teacher, "especially once the cool sea breeze kicks in." 

Indeed, it's the unofficial first weekend of summer on Long Island.

Unofficial, yes. Hot summer temps? Not so much.

High temperatures in the 70s this weekend certainly are welcome but expect it to be cooler at the ocean beaches for events such as the Bethpage Air Show. And the water? Only for the hardy.

No matter. The car is gassed up. The sunblock, towels and swimsuits are loaded in the trunk. And the veggie burgers, hot dogs, and steaks are stacked in the cooler, ready for the grill.

A near record number of travelers will be heading to the beaches, pools and holiday getaways ready anxious to soak in the sun — no matter the temperature. And with many school districts closing early this week to compensate for an absence of snow days, Long Island families will hit the road even earlier than usual, with some taking advantage of a six-day weekend.

Taking advantage of 'freebie'

Nearly 43 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from Thursday through Monday, according to data by AAA Northeast. That's a 3.6 percent uptick, or an additional 1.5 million travelers, from one year earlier — making 2019 the second busiest Memorial Day weekend since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.

"Americans get very few vacation days," said AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair. "And when we freebie with a holiday they are going to take full advantage of it."

The overwhelming majority of travelers, an estimated 37.6 million Americans, will drive to their destination, a record for the holiday, according to the auto club's annual survey. 

To beat the rush, try hitting the road during the late morning or early afternoon, generally between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., on Thursday or Friday, Sinclair recommends. But drivers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut should anticipate a gridlock nightmare during Thursday from 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., when travel times could double, according to INRIX, a global traffic data and analytics firm.

Motorists will have additional company on the roads this weekend: Law enforcement on Long Island plan increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints, looking for impaired and reckless drivers. 

Temps not typically 'beach worthy'

For the coming days, from Friday through next Tuesday, sunny or mostly sunny days are in the picture. Temperatures, of course, will depend on where you are, but Long Island MacArthur Airport is looking at the mid-70s for highs Friday; upper 60s, Saturday; upper 70s, Sunday; low 70s Monday and Tuesday.

Days may be getting longer, and sunsets later, but Memorial Day weekend is still typically close to two months away from peak temperatures on Long Island, with late July ordinarily taking honors for that, said Jase Bernhardt, assistant professor and head of Hofstra University’s meteorology minor program.

He’s thinking that warming temperatures and longer days and later sunsets, “have a psychological impact on folks, making it seem like summer.”

Still, late May’s temperatures “are almost never beach worthy.” 

Which means the weekend at times may not exactly be boat worthy, either.

Regardless, Long Island’s marinas are also slowly starting to fill up.

Mike Andreani, store manager for the Star Island Yacht Club and Marina in Montauk Point, said about 60 of its 170 slips are in use, with dozens more expected to fill up in the coming weeks as boats travel north from Florida.

“We are expecting big crowds this holiday weekend,” he said.

No doubt it will be better to be on the water than in the water.

Timlin, an Earth science teacher at North Shore High School in Glen Head, said South Shore and East End residents are particularly familiar with sea breezes, resulting from  the “sometimes stark temperature differences between the land and water." 

“It is quite common to see temperatures at the immediate coast being held in the upper 60s while parts of the North Shore soar into the mid and upper 80s."

And, let’s not forget Atlantic water temps, typically running in the mid to upper 50s the last week in May.

Gina Eosco, social scientist and a risk communication expert with Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs, which provides support to NOAA’s Office of Weather and Air Quality, said she knows “from personal experience” that people can be tricked into thinking the lakes and oceans are as pleasant as the air temperature.

“Once you jump into the water, however," Eosco said, "you very quickly realize that your mood changes faster than the temperature of the water. Brrr.”