“Green is the spring-time and blushing with bloom;
Bring we an offering to each soldier’s tomb”
~Sara L. Vickers Oberholtzer, “Under the Flowers” (A Decoration Ode), Come for Arbutus, and Other Wild Bloom, 1882

Memorial Day, as the name implies, was established to create a day of remembrance to honor soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the U.S. Civil War. In this day and age, however, many of us have come to associate the holiday with the start of summer activities – barbecues, going to the beach and vacations. As eager as we may be, though, it’s too early to call summer. Scientifically, the first day is the summer solstice, which officially arrives on June 20. How did a day of commemoration become the signal for the beginning of summer? I will venture to say weather played a role in transforming a somber time to one of jollity.

The month of May ushers in several notable changes in the nation’s weather compared to earlier in spring. Across most of the U.S. warmer temperatures are settling in. As the cold air meets the warm severe thunderstorms are often one of the first weather concerns at the end of spring. The same ingredients that give thunderstorms their source of energy are conducive for tornado formation. May is when the peak of tornado activity occurs in the United States. Speaking of wind, hurricane season got under way with last week’s tropical storm, Anna. Snowfall becomes more rare as May progresses but is still likely at higher elevations in the western U.S. and Alaska. Parts of the country experience severe flooding as the snow melts. Weather-wise, May is an active month. In spite of weather-related disasters, most look forward to May with its longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.

Warm and mild days with a bit of marine influence have settled in. Come Monday the temperature will get turned up just in time for the holiday. The NWS is predicting readings into the 90s, or beyond. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the warmest of these days. All the while, gusty winds will make for clear skies.

Many towns and cities across the country still hold solemn Memorial Day observances and parades to honor fallen military members. And while celebrations are still planned with caution, compared to last summer, we’re on our way! More than ever, America needs the light-heartedness we now associate with Memorial Day.