Memorial Day, a day of remembrance, parades, and the unofficial start of the summer season is Monday, May 26. What will the weather bring?
According to the 2008 Farmers’ Almanac, most of the country should expect fair skies and good weather for parades and picnics. The Northeast is forecasted to see some showers over the holiday weekend, but they should clear out for Monday. The Midwest and Great Lakes region are predicted to have sunny weather, with “fine and dry “ conditions for the Indy 500 on May 25.
The Southeast may start the long weekend with some thunderstorms, but for Memorial Day they should clear out. Fair is the word for Zones 4-the North Central States, Zone 5 -South Central States, Zone 6-the Northwest, and Zone 7 –the Southwest.
What about the 4th of July?
Unfortunately, the 4th of July’s Farmers’ Almanac forecast isn’t as optimistic. Thunderstorms may dampen plans for places in the Northeast (Zone 1) and Southeast (Zone 3). Dry but hot conditions are predicted for the Midwest and Great Lakes (Zone 2), North Central (Zone 4), South Central States (Zone 5), and Southwest Sates (Zone 7).
The best conditions look as though they will be experienced in the Northwestern States (Zone 6). In this area, the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting warm but dry conditions.
The Farmers’ Almanac long-range weather predictions are made by a long-standing formula that dates back to 1818. These holiday forecasts were actually calculated two years ago. It should be noted that local conditions may affect these outlooks.
People who follow the Farmers’ Almanac predictions say they’re about 80-85% accurate. Just recently our prediction for many spring tornadoes has been very accurate as was our wet, cool spring outlook.
What happens if it does rain on your parade?
Check out our top suggestions for ways to celebrate the holiday indoors and feel free to send us your rainy Memorial Day ideas.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
