The unofficial summer kick-off isn't going to feel like one around here.
Memorial Day weekend weather should be better than last year, but it won't be bikini-friendly.
Today's weather should be a lot like Friday, with temperatures in the 50s, but not as drizzly.
Sunday could see temperature close to 60, with mostly cloudy skies and perhaps some showers, according to WDAY meteorologist John Wheeler.
Monday could see a high near 70 with partly cloudy skies, though scattered showers are still possible, Wheeler said.
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"I can't promise that it won't rain all weekend, but it's going to be a lot better than it was last year," Wheeler said.
Last year, it rained the entire weekend, for a total of nearly four inches of rain
Memorial Day weekend serves as a starting point for summer in much of the United States, but not here, Wheeler said.
"It's not unusual for it to be chilly," Wheeler said. "I have seen snow flurries on Memorial Day weekend."
This weekend, the southeastern United States will arguably have the best weather, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures likely in the mid-80s, Wheeler said.
Though the forecast for the Northern Plains is for chilly weather, people still will head outdoors.
Ceremonies at Holy Cross, Riverside and Sunset Memorial cemeteries should go on as scheduled, said Ron Lomsdal, commander of Fargo's Veterans of Foreign Wars.
"We're going, rain or shine, I guess," Lomsdal said.
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Weather can put a damper on outdoor activities around Detroit Lakes, Minn., but retail stores sometimes benefit, said Dave Hochhalter, president of the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce.
That's true in some cases, but this year people don't seem to be in the mood for summer yet, said Michael Norby, president of Norby's Department Store in Detroit Lakes.
"We just need it to be summer a little bit, to get people in the mood," Norby said.
Still, Hochhalter said, people seem to be willing to stick it out.
"I see campers on the road, I see people out there," he said. "They're going to give it their best effort."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Andrea Domaskin at (701) 241-5556
