Memorial Day weather forecast: Beach bummer for parts of mid-Atlantic while Northeast, Midwest stay dry
The Carolinas and Southeast coastal areas should see improvement in the weather on Memorial Day, but clouds and showers are expected to stretch from West Virginia and Virginia to Maryland and Delaware. Meanwhile, a few showers and thunderstorms are likely throughout the Plains and the northern Rockies. An isolated shower or storm also can't be ruled out in parts of Northern California or southern Oregon.
Memorial Day weather forecast across the US
FOX Weather meteorologist Kiyana Lewis is tracking your Memorial Day weather forecast from coast to coast.
Towns and cities across America are celebrating veterans and the sacrifices they have made this Memorial Day holiday weekend.
While many families are traveling, some are enjoying their staycation instead. However, heavy rain, gusty winds, rough surf and dangerous rip currents have been putting a damper on outdoor plans from portions of the Southeast coast to the Carolinas and southern mid-Atlantic states for much of the holiday weekend. Some improvement in the weather is expected in these regions on Memorial Day, but lingering showers will still be in the forecast.
Additionally, the combination of gusty winds and an onshore flow has been causing a high threat of rip currents for beaches from the Virginia Tidewater through the Atlantic coast of Florida, and that threat could spread even farther north to the Jersey Shore and Long Island beaches on Memorial Day.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sees rain, gusty winds and rough surf during the Memorial Day weekend in 2023.
(Will Nunley / FOX Weather)
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects 2.7 million more people will travel this year compared to last – a rise of 2.7% and a sign of what’s to come in the months ahead. More than 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend.
"This is expected to be the third-busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000 when AAA started tracking holiday travel," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. "More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports."
People visit the beach during Memorial Day weekend on May 26, 2019 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
(Kena Betancur / Getty Images)
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in America and has been celebrated since the end of the Civil War.
Here's a closer look at your Memorial Day weekend forecast.
People participate in the annual Memorial Day Parade on May 28, 2012, in Fairfield, Connecticut.
(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
Memorial Day (Monday)
Where storms could dampen plans
The Carolinas and Southeast coastal areas should see improvement in the weather on Memorial Day, but clouds and showers are expected to stretch from West Virginia and Virginia to Maryland and Delaware.
Meanwhile, a few showers and thunderstorms are likely throughout the Plains and the northern Rockies. An isolated shower or storm also can't be ruled out in parts of Northern California or southern Oregon.
"If you're in the Southeast, unfortunately, you are still dealing with that pesky coastal low that we've been watching all (weekend) long," FOX Weather meteorologist Kiyana Lewis said. "Central portions of the country could see a few showers as well, from the northern Plains all the way down to Texas."
(FOX Weather)
Where dry weather is expected
A large ridge of high pressure over the Northeast and Midwest will continue to deliver warm and dry weather across those regions, with any rain along the Interstate 95 corridor likely staying south of Philadelphia.
Much of the Mississippi Valley, Deep South, Pacific Northwest, Southern California and the Four Corners region should also enjoy dry weather for the Memorial Day holiday.
"Atlanta, Detroit, over towards Minneapolis, nice balmy conditions in the 70s and 80s," Lewis said. "We also see an abundance of sunshine expected for today."