Memorial Day weather draws thousands to beaches

HULL, Mass. — In Massachusetts, about the only thing you CAN count on when it comes to Memorial Day weekend weather is that it probably won’t snow.

Last year, the unofficial start to summer was a dank, dreary wash-out.  But nature did a 180 for 2022 — with clear skies and spectacular temperatures dominating the region.

That drew thousands to Nantasket Beach — even though the water temperature in the bay hasn’t yet cracked 60 degrees.

“God is smiling at us,” said Brian Houlihan, owner of The Parrot restaurant, one of many businesses doing quite well — especially when compared with last year.

“As you can see there’s a lot more people,” Houlihan said. “A lot more people just coming in and hanging out. I think we’re still pretty close to being back to normal but not 100 percent.”

Down the street, Laurie Good, manager of the Tipsy Tuna, saw a good early sign for the holiday crowd.

“This morning around 7:00 a.m. all the parking spots were taken,” she said, gesturing to the many spots available for beach parking.

Good said the restaurant opened last July, with lousy results.

“It rained a lot,” she said. “And a lot of people weren’t comfortable being out. Especially in a restaurant — an atmosphere where people weren’t wearing masks.”

Masks were nowhere in sight along Nantasket Avenue. Betty Biggs, a frequent summertime visitor to Hull, is worried too many are ignoring the current surge in COVID-19 cases which, by some estimates could be as big as the Omicron wave of last winter.

“Well, just being in large crowds,” she said. “Outside is a different story. But when you’re inside in large crowds you have to have a mask on. You have to use your common sense.”

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