Long Island weather: Skies clear after rainy Memorial Day; Jones Beach set for drone show
A bicycle rider is unbothered by the rain along Horseblock Road in Medford on Monday. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
Memorial Day weather started to clear late in the day after a rainy morning, with temperatures climbing into the 70s, although cold water, high surf and rip currents were expected to last through the day, according to the National Weather Service.
While some of the day's parades and ceremonies were impacted, one major event — a 9 p.m. Jones Beach drone show — will take place as planned. "We are good to go," said George Gorman, Long Island regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Water temperatures for Long Island Sound and ocean beaches were in the 50s, cold enough to cause hypothermia, so anyone going out during the day on a small boat should take precautions, including wearing a life jacket and wetsuit, the weather service warned in an early morning marine weather statement.
High surf and rip current warnings were in effect at the Atlantic beaches. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Forecasters also warned that life-threatening rip currents were likely for all people entering the surf zone from Brooklyn to Montauk. Waves as high as 6 feet were expected on the Long Island ocean beaches.
Adding to these concerns, water-quality warnings for more than 80 Long Island beaches were issued by Nassau and Suffolk counties over the weekend.
A spokeswoman for the Suffolk Department of Health Services said an advisory issued against bathing at 63 beaches was expected to be lifted Tuesday afternoon. The advisory was issued over concern that bacteria levels in the water exceed New York State standards.
Gray skies and water warnings did not deter some beachgoers on Monday.
Wrapped in a gray blanket, Kristen Trojcak, 51, of Ronkonkoma, sat on a striped beach chair and watched surfers in black wetsuits bob in and out of water. It’s a place of peace and serenity for her, Trojcak said.
“Just looking at the waves basically and taking it all in,” she said.
Nearby, three girls in swimsuits and beachwear ran to the waves, giggling and screaming while their parents watched from a few feet away.
“They love water,” said Jeremy Carrow, the father of two of the girls, Mari, 9, and Naya, 6. “They love being sprayed with a hose at home. Temperature doesn't bother them.”
Mari Carrow, center, of East Northport, and her sister Naya, 6, right, and their friend Zosia Chramiec, of Brooklyn, enjoy Memorial Day at Robert Moses State Park Field 5 in Babylon on Monday. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
Meanwhile, for him, his wife and their friend visiting from Brooklyn: “The adults. We're not going in the water, but they're going to enjoy the water as much as they can,” said Carrow, 50, of East Northport.
Summer felt far off on an afternoon such as Monday’s when the skies were cloudy and the wind chilled.
“It doesn’t feel like summer yet,” said Frank Curcio, 63, of Islip.
To come to the beach on Memorial Day has been a long-running tradition for his family. Curcio's wife watched a grandson play in the water while another grandson dug in the sand. His daughter, with her 11-month-old baby in her arms, and his son-in-law stood nearby.
“It's like a playground for the kids,” he said. “You just let them go, and it's very relaxed being outside. They're happy. We're happy.”
Regardless of the weather, “we're kicking off the summer,” he said. “It'll get here.”
Manned aircraft, not drones, traditionally cap Memorial Day events at Jones Beach, but this year the FourLeaf Air Show was moved to July 5-6 to coincide with nationwide celebrations of 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Attendees can expect a 20-minute show Monday at 9 p.m., during which up to 1,000 drones will illuminate the sky with "patriotic symbols and imagery to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday and honor military personnel," state park officials said in a news release.
The show was postponed from Sunday to Monday night because of inclement weather.
A woman waits at a bus stop in Huntington Station on a dreary Memorial Day. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Other events across the Island were moved indoors or altered Monday. In Mastic Beach, Michael Javitz, first vice president of American Legion Post 1533, said the post's parade would go on, though perhaps with changes:
"We're doing it, rain or shine, but if it stays raining, we're not going to have anyone walking, just people in vehicles, he said."
Meteorologist John Murray at the National Weather Service in Upton said Long Island will continue to see dry conditions over the next couple of days.
“We’re drying out; part of a much different weather pattern than what we’ve had over the weekend,” he said. “The drier trend will continue, along with a warming trend in terms of temperatures over the next two days heading into the middle of this week.”
He said for Tuesday temperatures will be in the high 70s to low 80s, and a bit cooler on the Twin Forks. For Wednesday much of Long Island will be in the low to mid-80s, cooler along the coast.
There is a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm on Wednesday night, but it should be dry throughout the day. For parts of Long Island rain showers might return Thursday afternoon and evening. Thursday’s high temperature will likely be in the upper 70s.
Between Saturday and Monday morning, a range of 1 to 2 inches of rain fell across Long Island. Nassau County and Western Suffolk experienced slightly higher amounts, Murray said.
“We had a pretty long period of rain fall across the area,” he said.
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