Queens Weather Today: Windiest Borough With Gusts to 37 MPH, Then Thunderstorms After 8 P.M. (May 13, 2026)

Queens gets the windiest, wettest version of today’s NYC storm — gusts to 37 mph through afternoon, thunderstorms after 8 p.m., and basement-flood watch for southeast Queens. Neighborhood-by-neighborhood.

Queens-specific bottom line: If you live, work, or commute through Queens today, you’re getting the windiest, wettest version of this storm. South winds gusting to 37 mph through the afternoon, then thunderstorms after 8 p.m. that may dump up to half an inch in spots. Here is what that means for the borough block by block.

Queens forecast for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside: High near 71°F, gusts 30 mph. Storms after 9 p.m.
Flushing, Corona, Jackson Heights: High near 70°F, gusts 32 mph. Storms 8–10 p.m.
JFK, Howard Beach, Rockaway: High near 69°F, gusts to 37 mph — strongest in the borough. Storms 8–11 p.m.
Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica: High near 70°F, gusts 30 mph. Storms 9–11 p.m.
Overnight low: 54°F across the borough.

Why Queens gets it worse today

Queens sits closest to the warm, moist south flow rolling up from the Atlantic. JFK Airport’s gridpoint forecast shows wind gusts to 37 mph — about 10 mph stronger than Central Park’s reading. That’s the marine layer doing its work. Rockaway and Howard Beach will feel the wind first; inland neighborhoods like Forest Hills get the lighter version of the gust pattern but the same storm timing.

Queens commute and service status

Subway lines through Queens: 7, E, F, M, R, N, W, J, Z, A, and the Queens Boulevard local — no weather-related delays in effect for the morning. Expect surface flooding risk on the J/Z elevated structure in Jamaica during the late-evening storms.
LIRR: Normal service for the inbound and outbound rush. Watch the LIRR alerts page after 8 p.m. for any held trains during thunderstorm passage.
Queens-bound bus service: Normal. Q53 and Q52 SBS to the Rockaways may slow during the heaviest cell.
Bridges and tunnels: Wind advisory levels (gusts under 40 mph) — no high-profile vehicle restrictions on the RFK or Cross Bay Bridge expected.

Queens-specific decisions today

Alternate side parking in Queens: In effect today. Not a suspension day. Move your car.
DSNY pickup in Queens: Normal collection. Bring bins in tonight before the overnight wind gusts knock them into the street.
Queens schools (DOE): Open. Outdoor recess permitted in the morning. Indoor recess likely if storms arrive before dismissal at PS 1, PS 11, and other early-dismissal schools.
Citi Field and US Open practice courts: Dry until early evening. Any 7 p.m. ballgame would face delay risk after the seventh inning.
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Forest Park, Rockaway Beach Boardwalk: Walk or run before 6 p.m. After that, the wind alone makes it unpleasant — and the storms are the real reason to stay in.
If you bike the Queensboro Bridge or RFK pedestrian path: Avoid after 5 p.m. Crosswinds on the upper levels with gusts near 35 mph create real handlebar pull.

Basement apartment flood watch — Queens edition

The half-inch rainfall total over a short window is the exact pattern that flooded basement apartments in southeast Queens during Hurricane Ida and again in September 2023. Tonight’s setup is much milder, but the same drainage geography applies. If you live in a basement unit in:

Hollis
Queens Village
South Ozone Park
Richmond Hill
Far Rockaway

Take five minutes this afternoon to clear leaves from the storm drain on your block and move anything valuable off the basement floor. The 311 line can dispatch a DEP crew if a drain is backed up — call before the storm, not during.

Thursday morning — what Queens parents need to know

Thursday’s forecast keeps the showers and thunderstorms going through morning drop-off. Highs only reach 65°F in Queens with a north-northwest wind picking up by afternoon. Pack rain gear for the kids and expect indoor recess. The DOE outdoor recess threshold is light drizzle and 32°F or warmer — Thursday morning may flirt with the precipitation cutoff.