Bottom line: A cool, drippy Thursday in New York City. Rain showers are likely across the five boroughs through about 2 p.m., with highs only near 64°F and a wind out of the northeast at 1–8 mph. Things dry out by evening, but it stays mostly cloudy and chilly for May. If you can postpone outdoor plans until Friday afternoon, do it.

NYC weather snapshot — Thursday, May 21, 2026

• High / Low: 64°F / 55°F
• Rain chance: 65–71% from roughly 8 a.m. through 1 p.m.; dropping to 6% by 5 p.m.
• Total rainfall expected: Less than a tenth of an inch
• Wind: Northeast 1–8 mph, calm by evening
• Sunrise / Sunset: 5:32 a.m. / 8:13 p.m.
• Forecast source: NWS New York/Upton (OKX), generated 3:12 a.m. ET

What this means for your morning

The rain is the kind that ruins your hair, not your day. We’re talking light, on-and-off showers — not a downpour. The window of meaningful rain runs from about 8 a.m. through 1 p.m., which lines up almost exactly with the school commute and the office commute. By the time you’re leaving work, the sky should be drying out, though it stays gray.

If you bike-commute: doable. Wind is light from the northeast, so a tailwind into Midtown from Brooklyn or Queens, headwind home. Use lights — visibility in light rain is worse than people think.

If you drive: no flooding risk with rainfall under a tenth of an inch. Wet pavement will be the worst of it.

Borough-by-borough quick read

• Manhattan: Cool and damp. Central Park grid forecast highs near 64°F. The urban heat island effect is muted today — rain and clouds wash it out.
• Brooklyn: Same general pattern. Coastal sections (Coney Island, Bay Ridge) may feel rawer with the east breeze coming off the harbor.
• Queens: Light rain through midday, especially in the southern half of the borough closer to Jamaica Bay.
• Bronx: Slightly less rain coverage in the northern Bronx than the rest of the city, but still mostly cloudy all day.
• Staten Island: Similar conditions; raw, damp east-northeast flow. The Verrazzano can get gusty even when the rest of the city is calm.

Subways, schools, parking, garbage

• MTA: No weather-related subway suspensions. Normal weekday service expected. Current published advisories on the F, E, 4, and 7 lines are planned work, not weather. MTA service status last updated 5:31 a.m. ET.
• NYC public schools: Open and in session. Next scheduled closure is Memorial Day, Monday May 25. NYC DOE calendar. DOE outdoor recess threshold is generally suspended in steady rain — expect indoor recess in most schools.
• Alternate Side Parking: No weather suspension is in effect. ASP rules are in effect as posted. Always confirm same-day status on the NYC Finance ASP calendar.
• DSNY garbage and recycling: Normal Thursday pickup. Put bins out the night before; light rain does not change collection. DSNY.

The decision tree

If you’re trying to decide between today and tomorrow for an outdoor errand — kid’s game in a park, a long walk, a run along the Hudson — wait until Friday. Friday is partly sunny with a high near 66°F. Saturday flips back to rain (80% chance, with a quarter inch possible) and Saturday night through Sunday it gets worse before it gets better. Today is the meh middle of a wet week.

Looking ahead

• Friday: Partly sunny, high 66°F. The clear window of the week.
• Saturday: Rain showers, high 59°F. About a quarter inch possible.
• Sunday: Rain continues, high 64°F. 90% chance.

Bottom line: Get the morning over with, hold outdoor plans for Friday, and accept that this Memorial Day weekend is shaping up wet.

Forecast data sourced from the National Weather Service New York/Upton office (OKX), Central Park grid point (40.7831, -73.9712), generated May 21, 2026 at 3:12 a.m. ET. Forecast age at publish: under three hours.