Uncommon May nor鈥檈aster brings rain and snow to New England states just before Memorial Day weekend
May 23, 2025, 5:29 AM
Bird watchers look out under dark skies at Kettle Cove State Park, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)
BOSTON (AP) 鈥� An unusual May nor鈥檈aster was pulling away from New England on Friday after soaking the region and setting some record cold temperatures.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island received the most rain, getting at least several inches. The coastal town of Kingston, Massachusetts, received 7.13 inches (18.1 centimeters) of rain in a 24-hour period ending early Friday, the National Weather Service said.
Drivers were stuck in floodwaters in Cape Cod and fallen trees blocked some streets. There were no reports of injuries.
Some higher elevations saw snow, with New Hampshire’s Mount Washington reporting 3.4 inches (8.6 centimeters) as of Friday morning.
鈥淲ould it really be May in Maine without a little rain 鈥� and even a touch of snow 鈥� for Memorial Day Weekend?鈥� Sugarloaf Mountain posted online. It delayed opening day for its golf club from Friday to Sunday.
High temperatures for Thursday were about 20 degrees lower than usual.
At least two cities 鈥� Concord, New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine 鈥� had record cold high temperatures. In Concord, it reached 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8.3 degrees Celsius) for Thursday. That broke the previous record on that date of 51 degrees set in 1939. Portland got up to 49 degrees (9.4 degrees Celsius), breaking the 50-degree record set in 2011.
A nor鈥檈aster is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the weather service. They usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. It’s rare to see them in May.
