Friday opened with plenty of sunshine, light winds and a lot of cold air across the North Country and Upper Valley, even as a frost advisory and freeze warning remained in effect until 8 AM. Highs were expected to climb into the upper 60s, with some spots nearing 70 degrees later in the day.
That brief stretch of dry weather was expected to hold through Saturday, which was forecast to be the driest day of the holiday weekend. Highs should reach around 70 degrees, though clouds were expected to increase as the day went on.
Rain was then expected to return late Saturday night into Sunday morning, first across the North Country and Upper Valley, before widely scattered showers lingered through Sunday. By Memorial Day itself, those showers were expected to taper to isolated showers, leaving Monday gloomy and cloudy rather than bright and sunny.
The outlook matters because it covers Memorial Day 2026, when many people will be trying to squeeze in outdoor plans before summer starts to feel real. Forecasters said the wet weather was not expected to turn into a washout, and the broader pattern showed high pressure sliding east-southeast and out to sea by overnight.
That detail helps explain why the weekend changes so gradually. Cold air is in place to start Friday, then the dry window narrows as moisture moves back in late Saturday night. Temperatures are also expected to stay seasonable, with highs in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees Friday and around 70 degrees Saturday, while Sunday and Monday are more likely to sit in the 40s and 50s under clouds and scattered showers.
The tension for holiday travelers is straightforward: the best stretch of the weekend comes first, and the least inviting weather lands on the holiday itself. Still, the forecast stops short of calling for a total rainout, which means outdoor plans may need adjusting, not abandoning.
For people hoping to make the most of Memorial Day Monday, the answer is clear enough: expect a gray, damp finish to the weekend, but not one that should erase the holiday entirely.
