If you’re planning any outdoor activities this Memorial Day weekend, you might want to pack a poncho and umbrella. It’s going to be a wet one.
Rain showers, large hail, strong wind and record temperatures are all part of the forecast.
Check your local weekend forecast here >>>
Northeast
The Northeast will see a wet start to the holiday weekend.
Expect rain showers and gusty winds on Saturday in Philadelphia, New York, Hartford and Boston. Most of the rain will be light, but some thunderstorms are also possible.
Sunday and Monday will bring gradual clearing with more sunshine and drier conditions to these same cities.
Southeast
The situation may get even wetter in the Southeast.
Gulf moisture will surge into the region, triggering heavy rain and thunderstorms on all three days of the holiday weekend. It won’t be an all-day washout for most areas, but plan on showers interrupting your BBQ, hike or pool time.
Many cities – including Atlanta, Greenville-Spartanburg, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee – have spent much of the past week with temperatures below normal. That will change this weekend as highs return to the mid to upper 80s, which will be several degrees above their normal highs of 80-81°F for this time of year.
Plains and the Midwest
Severe storms pushed across the Plains and into Texas on Saturday. Nearly a dozen tornadoes were reported in parts of Iowa and Illinois on Saturday, though no damage was reported. A few tornadoes were developing in west Texas and a large tornado developed south of Post, Texas, but no damage was reported.
By Sunday, nearly 30 million people will be at risk for severe weather.
There will be isolated severe storms across portions of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch until 8 p.m. CT for parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana, including Chicago and Milwaukee. A few tornadoes have already been observed in eastern Iowa.
Some areas of the Midwest will experience their warmest temperatures of the year so far.
West Coast
Red flag warnings are in place across portions of Colorado and New Mexico, where very dry and windy conditions are expected. Strong winds will peak in these areas on Saturday, with gradual improvements Sunday and Monday. In fact, scattered showers will return Sunday and Monday to many of those same areas affected by the warnings.
The Southwest can expect to heat up. Many cities, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Fresno, California, are under Excessive Heat Watches for next week.
They aren’t alone. Sacramento, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Tucson will also experience temperatures well above average for much of next week.
