Looking to celebrate your mother with a picnic, walk in the park or dinner al fresco this Mother’s Day? You may want a backup plan.
Families hoping to spend time outdoors with moms, aunts, sisters and other maternal figures should prepare for the possibility of rain Sunday. It won’t be a total washout, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, but forecasters say periods of rain are possible along with stretches of dry weather.
Mother’s Day forecast across New York
New York’s weather will vary by region Sunday, according to National Weather Service forecasts issued Friday, May 8:
When is Mother’s Day 2026?
Mother’s Day is celebrated in the U.S. on the second Sunday in May. This year, it falls on Sunday, May 10.
Is Mother’s Day celebrated the same way around the world?
No. Many countries celebrate their own version of Mother’s Day on different dates.
In the United Kingdom, Mother’s Day is observed as “Mothering Sunday,” which falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day on Aug. 12, the birthday of former Queen Sirikit.
Countries including Japan, Italy and Brazil also celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May.
Why is Mother’s Day celebrated?
Celebrations honoring mothers date back to ancient Greek and Roman festivals tied to fertility and motherhood, according to the History Channel and Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Modern Mother’s Day in the United States began in the early 1900s through the efforts of Anna Jarvis, whose mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs to support women and children.
After her mother died in 1905, Anna Jarvis campaigned for a national holiday honoring mothers. The first official Mother’s Day celebration was held in West Virginia in 1908. President Woodrow Wilson later declared it a national holiday in 1914.
When is Father’s Day 2026?
Father’s Day will be celebrated Sunday, June 21.
Is Mother’s Day a federal holiday?
No. Mother’s Day is widely celebrated across the U.S., but it is not a federal holiday.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Mother’s Day weather in NY: Rain could interrupt outdoor plans
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
