An unusual May nor’easter was pulling away from New England on Friday after soaking the region, setting some record cold temperatures, and downing trees in several towns including Malden and Brookline.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island received the most rain, getting at least several inches. The coastal town of Kingston, Massachusetts, received 7.13 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending early Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Drivers were stuck in floodwaters in Cape Cod and fallen trees blocked some streets. There were no reports of injuries.

Some higher elevations saw snow, with New Hampshire’s Mount Washington reporting 3.4 inches as of Friday morning.

“Would it really be May in Maine without a little rain — and even a touch of snow — for Memorial Day Weekend?” Sugarloaf Mountain posted online. It delayed opening day for its golf club from Friday to Sunday.

It was cold and blustery on the eve of Memorial Day weekend in Boston, but locals across Massachusetts were taking it in stride. “That’s New England,” one man said. “You’ve gotta live with it, you’ve gotta love it.”

Hear from them and get a closer look at when the rain is expected to let up, plus the impact on holiday weekend travel. 

High temperatures for Thursday were about 20 degrees lower than usual.

At least two cities — Concord, New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine — had record cold high temperatures. In Concord, it reached 47 degrees Fahrenheit for Thursday. That broke the previous record on that date of 51 degrees set in 1939. Portland got up to 49 degrees, breaking the 50-degree record set in 2011.

A nor’easter is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the weather service. They usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. It’s rare to see them in May.

19-year-olds can now be correctional officers, the state’s Department Correction announced Thursday, citing a need for more long-term, motivated candidates.

The age was lowered from 21 to 19, following in the footsteps of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, which lowered its age requirements for correctional officers in 2023. At the time, the department said there was a “critical shortage of officers.”

The Massachusetts Department of Correction said officers under the age of 21 won’t be assigned to posts or duties that require a firearm, but “any individuals hired for the position must maintain eligibility to obtain a license to carry a firearm.”

“The implementation of this age of appointment gives the DOC the flexibility to bring in more qualified applicants while providing them with early access to a fulfilling career in corrections,” DOC Commissioner Shawn Jenkins said in a statement. 

The department, which staffs 13 facilities across the state, said the change allows young adults to explore long-term careers and serve their communities. 

“Reducing the minimum age to become a Correction Officer will allow us to recruit more dedicated, highly skilled workers to these important roles,” Governor Maura Healey said in a statement. “This change will help us build the next generation of corrections professionals to deliver on our goals of protecting public safety and supporting rehabilitation.”

The eligibility requirements to be a correction officer, some of whom earn more than $250,000 a year, include a high school diploma, an equivalency certificate or at least three years in the Armed Forces as well as a “comprehensive screening process” and a 12-week training program.

The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union has previously called attention to staffing and other issues at prisons, including the state’s only maximum-security prison. Last fall, five officers were injured by inmates in a single incident, and the MCOFU criticized the department’s lack of searches and use of tactical units.

“How much more do our members have to endure before you decide to keep them safe? The inmates are literally running the asylum. Do your jobs,” the union wrote on Facebook at the time.

In a statement about lowering the age requirements, Jenkins thanked the union for their “support.”

“The Massachusetts Department of Correction appreciates working collaboratively with Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union and their support as we work together to increase our professional workforce,” Jenkins said.

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.