Downpours, storms to drench Memorial Day gatherings in southern US
While some of the best weather in the nation will be from the Rockies to the West Coast on Memorial Day, the Northeast will be chilly but mainly dry. Downpours are likely to cause problems for parades and outdoor ceremonies from the central and southern Plains to the southern East Coast, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Most areas from the Rockies on west can expect a nice day for the unofficial start of the summer season with sunshine and a warm afternoon. Thunderstorm are not expected in this area, including over the rugged terrain of the Rockies, which is a favorite of hikers.
Most West Coast beaches should experience some sunshine during the afternoon after morning patchy low clouds and fog burn off. An exception will be right along the coasts of Washington and Oregon, where persistent clouds can lead to spotty showers.
Heat will build over the deserts with afternoon temperatures to push 100 F.
Farther to the east, the weather will not be so nice in terms of the warm and dry ideal.Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
The Northeast will continue its drying trend after soggy days into Friday. A rare late-May nor'easter will have dumped up to a few inches of rain on portions of New England, the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic.
Air that is unusually cool for late May-5 to 15 degrees below the historical average-will continue through the first holiday of the summer season, along with spotty showers over the interior Northeast. However, cooler weather is often preferred over hot and humid conditions during parades.
Much of the northern Plains and parts of the Upper Midwest will be cool but dry.
Farther south and west, the weather will deteriorate significantly on Memorial Day.
Rounds of showers and thunderstorms that ramp up early during the extended holiday weekend from the central and southern Plains to the lower part of the Mississippi Valley will continue on Memorial Day.
Where the ground has become saturated, the risk of flash flooding will increase significantly with each additional downpour. Some locations may escape with little or no rain on Memorial Day, but people in those areas will be lucky if outdoor plans proceed without problems from rain and severe thunderstorms.
Most of the severe thunderstorm threat will be on the southern and eastern edge of the persistent downpour zone and will extend from central Texas to Georgia and South Carolina.
The main threats from severe thunderstorms on Monday include dangerous lightning, winds strong enough to snap tree limbs and hail large enough to damage vehicles. However, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out as well.
Meanwhile, much of the Florida Peninsula will be very warm and humid with only spotty thunderstorm activity, which is fairly typical for late May.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center's Florida outlook is clear. What is Tropical Storm Barbara?
With a hot Sunday on the horizon and the Saharan dust cloud pretty much gone, people in Florida on June 8 will need to apply the sunscreen and watch for a passing thunderstorm in some spots. But what we won't have to worry about this week, according the National Hurricane Center forecasters on June 8, is any tropical activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of America. ➤ Track all active storms ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location The dust that passed was helping keep the tropics quiet, as the dry air helps prevent the development of new storms and helps prevent any existing ones from strengthening. Another large plume of dust moving off Africa could reach Florida around June 13, according to AccuWeather. If you're hearing about a tropical storm somewhere, there is one, but Tropical Storm Barbara is in the Pacific and not anything headed our way. Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 8 a.m., June 8: The National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical wave in the central Atlantic. It's moving west at 11 to 17 mph. Now is the time to prepare for a hurricane, before a storm is approaching. Tropical Storm Barbara is in the eastern Pacific, far from Florida. It is the second named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, which started May 15. The storm had 45 mph winds, was last charted the morning of June 8 at 180 miles south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Tropical Storm Barbara was not causing any watches or warnings for land. Named storms in the Pacific have a different set of names than those in the Atlantic. Andrea will be the first named storm in the Atlantic (it was Alvin for the Pacific). "This dust will likely prevent anything from forming across most of the Atlantic tropical basin over the next few weeks," said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva. "The only areas that can see a risk of development will be across the western Caribbean or in the Gulf. "The timing we are looking at for possible tropical development in the central and western Caribbean is June 12-16 or perhaps a bit later," DaSilva said. AccuWeather meteorologists said there is a low risk for tropical development in that area through mid-June. "Should a tropical depression or storm take shape next week, it may be more likely to track into the Gulf and then perhaps swing toward Louisiana or Florida," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. "Should it wait till later next week or perhaps hold off until nearly the middle of the month, steering breezes would be more likely to take it into southern Mexico or Central America." It appears that the latter option, with movement toward Mexico or Central America, is more likely, according to AccuWeather. Historically, tropical cyclones form close to the U.S. in June, with the most common locations being the northwestern Caribbean and the eastern Gulf, according to Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist with WeatherTiger. Truchelut is a Florida meteorologist who works with the USA TODAY Network. "None of the reputable forecast models are showing a realistic chance of anything tropical forming on the Atlantic side of Central America through mid-month." ➤ WeatherTiger: False alarms, beneficial rain and a dusty start to Florida storm season The exception is the GFS model, which is predicting a Caribbean tropical storm will spin up in 10 to 12 days, then move generally northward, Truchelut said. "The GFS has a persistent and well-known bias for incorrectly predicting development in the Caribbean at this specific time of year," Truchelut said. "All told, while something could eventually spin up in two or three weeks, the GFS' frequent false alarms should be disregarded." The GFS model, which stands for Global Forecast System, is the weather prediction model operated by the National Weather Service. In addition to providing data for a wide range of forecasts, it's also used for hurricane tracking. A "wall of dust" moved through Florida and the dust plume was expected to stretch along the Gulf Coast and portions of the southwest Atlantic coast through June 6. Those conditions, which produce vivid sunrises and sunsets, along with hazy skies, along with dirty spots on cars and other objects when it rains, should dissipate this weekend. Another dust plume is expected in about a week, which has its advantages. Dust in the atmosphere helps prevent the formation or strengthening of tropical systems. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said. The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories. The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center. Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include: Tropical cyclone is the generic term used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for any tropical system, even if it's in the tropical Atlantic basin. To be more precise, a tropical cyclone is a "rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation," NOAA said. Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Center tracks tropical wave as Florida stays in the clear
UPI
17 hours ago
- UPI
FAA limits flights at Newark airport for the rest of 2025
June 7 (UPI) -- Arrivals and departures are limited for the rest of the year at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The restrictions took effect on Friday and limit arrivals and departures to 28 per hour on weekends while airport construction occurs from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday. Arrivals and departures also are limited to no more than 34 per hour during other periods through Oct. 25. "The confirmed reduced rates will maintain safety while alleviating excessive flight delays at the airport due to staffing and equipment challenges," the FAA announcement says. "The early completion of runway construction at the airport that added to the delays will also contribute to a more efficient operation." Similar travel restrictions "paid dividends" by enabling "smooth travel into and out of Newark" over the Memorial Day holiday, according to the FAA. Officials at the federal agency recently met with airline representatives to discuss problems at the Newark airport that triggered long delays and flight cancellations that left many air passengers stranded for hours and sometimes longer. The discussions led to the current flight restrictions while undertaking several improvements at the airport and regionally. The FAA is working to improve operations at the Newark airport by adding three new high-bandwidth telecommunications links between New York-based hubs and the Philadelphia-based terminal radar approach control system for regional air traffic control. Old copper telecommunications connections will be replaced with fiber-optic technology for greater bandwidth and speed, and a temporary backup system to the Philadelphia-based TRACON system will be active while improvements are done. The FAA also is increasing air traffic controller staffing by adding 22 fully certified controllers and five fully certified supervisors at the Newark airport and others in the area. "The U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA will continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that the airport is a safe, efficient and functional gateway for passengers and air crews," the FAA announcement says.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Our View: As the heat spikes, so do drownings
Triple-digit temperatures are predicted for this weekend. Beyond that, the days are expected to be not much cooler. It is a reminder that the blistering Bakersfield summer has started, and residents and visitors will look to water for relief. But danger lurks in the many local swimming pools and the even bigger attraction, the Kern River. Urging pool safety during a recent press conference, Kern County health officials promoted the department's Water Watcher program, which calls for designating adults to always keep close tabs on children frolicking around backyard pools. They cited federal findings that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4. On average, 350 children under the age of 5 lose their lives to drowning every year in the United States. Within the past five years, 16 children in Kern County have lost their lives to drowning: two in the Kern River, two in bathtubs and 12 in swimming pools. In advance of the Memorial Day Weekend last month, county officials performed a grisly annual tradition — updating Kern Canyon entry signs to warn of the Kern River's danger. This year, the number of drownings posted on the signs went from 334 to 342. Eight people were taken by the Kern in 2024. Last year's July 4th holiday was particularly deadly. Four people drowned. The count, which began in 1968, doesn't include people who died in the upper Kern River, in Tulare County, which doesn't keep drowning statistics on its section of river. It also doesn't include people who are still missing and presumed dead in the river. 'We tell the public this every year: The Kern River is dangerous,' said Sgt. Rodney Jones, who oversees the Kern County Sheriff's Office's search and rescue division. 'Do not go in it without professional guides or gear.' The water is cold and deceptively fast with numerous hidden hazards — branches, rocks, debris — that can snag you, trap you and pull you under, he said. The division posts additional search and rescue teams on holidays along the river to respond to emergencies and remind people about the dangers. Asked if Kern officials would consider closing off the river, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood responded with a firm NO. 'The river is a public place and there's way too many access points for us to patrol,' he said. 'You can't legislate stupidity. If you need to be told to stay out of that river, there's something wrong with you.' Youngblood is right. It's up to all of us to heed repeated warnings and keep ourselves, families and friends safe. ■ Watch children closely. Never let them into the river unattended. ■ Do not go in the river if you can't swim. ■ Use adequate flotation devices, not drug store floaties. ■ Make sure someone in your party can contact 911. Service in the canyon is sketchy. ■ Alcohol (or other mind-altering substances) do not mix well with the river. Several river rafting companies operate along the Kern. They offer safe and varying trips — depending on people's interests and experience. SJV Water, a local news outlet that covers water issues, reports that with less snowfall this year, the river will be running lower than in recent past years. But even though the water flow is lower, Jones noted that most people are not able to climb out if they are trapped on a rock. As evidence, on Sunday a man was found dead in the river. The man had gone missing after swimming in Isabella Lake without a flotation device. Just a few days later, a teenage girl was rescued from a tree in the river at Hart Park, just 90 minutes after another person was rescued from the same area, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office. They were brought to shore uninjured. Again, the Kern County Sheriff's Office urged the public to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket when in or near the river. 'Despite appearing calm in some areas, the river's cold temperatures, swift currents and hidden hazards can quickly turn deadly,' KCSO once again warned in a news release.
