Chris Trainor says labor day 2026 on Long Beach Island arrives as the unofficial start to summer, even with highs in the 60s and rain possible. He adds that the weekend may not reach 70 degrees, but the season is starting anyway.
“I’ll just come out and say it – this week’s column is a pep rally for summer 2026.” The column also says the unofficial start to summer seems less official each year, a line that fits a weekend forecast that does not match the calendar.
Chris Trainor in May
Trainor places the holiday weekend in the third week of May and ties it to Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County. He writes after what he describes as the longest, coldest December to March he could imagine, then adds, “Saltwater freezes at 28 F, in case you were wondering.”
The weather forecast complicates the seasonal tone. Highs are expected in the 60s, there is a chance the weekend will not hit 70 degrees, and rain could arrive at any point during the holiday period.
Southern Regional High School flags
Trainor also points readers to a Memorial Day display at Southern Regional High School, where students and faculty placed more than 7,000 flags on the campus lawn to remember fallen U.S. service members. He says, “Leave a few minutes to pop by Southern Regional High School, where students and faculty have placed more than 7,000 flags on the campus lawn to remember fallen U.S. service members; well worth the detour.”
That stop folds the holiday into the local routine: remembrance on one side, the start of the summer social season on the other. For readers heading to Long Beach Island, the practical takeaway is simple — the weekend still marks the season’s opening, but the weather may ask for a jacket and a flexible plan.
