Memorial Day is sometimes considered to be the unofficial kickoff to summer for many Americans, but Monday's cold and rainy weather made it seem more like a typical day in April.
Outdoor events were cancelled or postponed around the Red River Valley because of the storms that brought about 0.81 inches to Grand Forks and nearly 3.5 inches to Nekoma, N.D., by the early evening.
The Pembina, N.D., area generally received about 2.5 inches of rain by Monday evening, prompting city officials to urge residents to restrict their water usage until further notice.
Pete Speicher, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said high temperatures in the area were colder than normal as well. Grand Forks has an average May 25 high of 73 degrees, but thermometers peaked at 61 just after midnight on Monday and "it just dropped all day."
Still, the city only reached 57 degrees during last year's Memorial Day before dropping to 40 degrees, a few degrees colder than Monday's expected low temperature.
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But the weather will soon feel more like the beginning of summer. The storms should be through the region by daylight today and temperatures will warm up over the next week.
Temperatures will continue to dip below 50 degrees at night throughout the week, with highs near 70 degrees in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Speicher said there is little chance of additional precipitation in the next few days and sunny skies are expected around the region. There is a slight chance of some showers or thunderstorms on Friday night, especially in the northern valley.
Reach Johnson at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or send e-mail to rjohnson@gfherald.com .
