A damp, cool air mass rolled into the Northeast on Tuesday, upending unseasonably warm conditions and delivering steady showers that left streets slick and umbrellas ubiquitous from Boston to New York City. Meteorologists said the rain was associated with a passing cold front that will usher in temperatures several degrees below seasonal averages through midweek, a relief for residents but an unwelcome variable for organizers of outdoor tributes coinciding with solemn anniversaries.

In New York, hundreds gathered under tarps and raincoats in a circled public space for a “Circle of Unity” remembrance to mark two years since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Organizers pressed on with the ceremony despite the drizzle, the sound of raindrops punctuating prayers and testimony. “We came to remember,” said a woman who attended with her family. “The weather doesn’t change why we are here.”

The gathering was one of many worldwide as communities observed the anniversary amid ongoing ceasefire discussions in the region. Thousands had been expected at other vigils and memorials, and while some events shifted indoors, many diaspora communities elected to hold tightly scripted outdoor moments of silence and candlelight vigils in plazas and parks. For survivors and family members of victims, organizers said, public rituals are a crucial part of collective mourning, even when subject to the inconveniences of rain and chill.

Political tensions threaded through the commemorations. In Albany and Washington, elected officials and diplomats reiterated calls for renewed ceasefire efforts as negotiators continued talks. The anniversary also revived controversy over domestic political statements: the Israeli government publicly condemned a statement by New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as “shameful,” reflecting how local rhetoric can reverberate internationally and complicate bilateral public discourse.

Weather and politics intersected in practical ways. Organizers scrambled to protect audio equipment and fragile memorial displays. City agencies deployed extra sanitation crews to clear wet candles and mud from public spaces. “Inclement weather requires quick logistical decisions,” an event coordinator said, noting that some planned processions were shortened and that larger ceremonies were supplemented with live-stream options to accommodate those unable to attend.

The observances unfolded against a backdrop of domestic strains as well. A new CBS News poll released around the anniversary showed growing frustration among Americans over the ongoing government shutdown, a development political analysts say could limit federal attention and resources for diplomatic engagement or emergency response needs abroad. That domestic preoccupation, combined with the unpredictability of negotiations and the weather, highlighted the multiple pressures shaping public life on a day of remembrance.

By evening the showers had eased, but the air remained brisk. For many attendees, the damp chill felt secondary to the purpose of the day: to honor victims, press for peace and keep memories alive. As diplomats and negotiators resumed talks, the ceremonies underscored a wider truth of international crises—public rituals and the politics they touch do not pause for weather, and they often demand resilience from communities both local and global.