A wide variety of conditions will be found across the United States during the Memorial Day weekend ranging from multiple days of sunshine for outdoor activities to frequent rounds of downpours and thunderstorms that can be potentially dangerous, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Best bets for the beach during the Memorial Day weekend will be from the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida to Texas as well as in Southern California. Building heat and humidity along the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors of the South Central and Southeast states will make keeping cool a necessity, and the best way to do that aside from air conditioning will be at the beach or the pool.
As actual temperatures climb well into the 90s F in many areas, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will soar well past 100 degrees. The AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature takes into account many more parameters than the heat index and is a more accurate representation of how it truly feels.
Ocean water temperatures along the southern Atlantic coast range from the mid-70s F in the Carolinas to the mid-80s in southern Florida. Gulf of Mexico water temperatures are generally in the mid-80s. Keep in mind that water temperatures along the California coast are dangerously chilly, in the low 60s.
For those in the Northeast, Sunday is likely to be the best beach day. Surf temperatures are frigid from New Jersey to the north.
This weekend will offer generally safe camping and hiking weather over the West. Unlike the Independence Day and Labor Day holidays when midday and afternoon thunderstorms bring threats of lightning strikes, few, if any, thunderstorms are in the offing this weekend. Campers are urged to exercise caution when using open flames and generators as conditions in some areas will be conducive for wildfire ignition, especially in Arizona and New Mexico.
The most likely day for sporadic showers over the Rockies will be on Saturday from Colorado to Montana. Some of the highest elevations will be fair game for snow showers, which is uncommon for late May. The Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges are anticipated to be free of precipitation from Saturday through Monday while some showers may occur in the Northwest into Friday night.
Those considering kayaking or rafting in the West should be aware that rivers are running fast, deep and cold this time of year. Water temperatures are icy, as most streams are fed by melting snow from the high country. Cold water shock can be dangerous and deadly.
Aside from the high country of the West, Northeast and the immediate coastal areas of the Northwest and New England, conditions that will likely require occasional use of a jacket or long sleeves will be over the Upper Midwest. For example, around Bemidji, Minnesota, highs each day will be in the 60s. The coldest night will likely be Friday night, when temperatures will dip into the frosty 30s.
This region and its nearly 30,000 natural lakes are a magnet for fishing and water sports. The region seeks to recoup losses from a nearly ice-free and snowless winter.
Depending on the locations, the wettest part of the extended weekend will be from Friday to Saturday, when it may rain for multiple hours. However, for most of the rest of the weekend, it will be free of rain despite the likelihood of a couple of showers on at least one day.
While lightning poses one of the greatest dangers from common thunderstorms for those spending outdoors enjoying everyday activities, AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate that an outbreak of severe weather, including the potential for some tornadoes, will progress from the Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley and then much of the Atlantic coast during the Memorial Day weekend.
Thunderstorms this weekend will not only threaten outdoor events such as weddings, barbeques and camping trips, but they can be dangerous across the Great Plains to the East Coast.
AccuWeather meteorologists have designated areas with moderate and high risks of severe thunderstorms this weekend. While some risk (yellow) areas show the likelihood of severe thunderstorms in parts of the area, a moderate (orange) risk zone indicates that numerous severe thunderstorms are likely in the region. An uncommon high (red) risk zone means widespread severe thunderstorms are anticipated.
A severe thunderstorm can potentially bring damaging wind gusts, hail and torrential downpours. All three conditions can occur separately or simultaneously. When heavy rain accompanies high winds, it may seem like a hurricane is hitting, with trees bending and breaking in some cases and streets turning into rivers. These conditions can occur with individual, small-scale thunderstorms, a line of thunderstorms or large, long-tracking complexes of thunderstorms.
As the storm system responsible for severe thunderstorms this weekend progresses, parts of the Northeast will be subject to drenching downpours on Memorial Day. The greatest threat of storms turning violent with high winds and possible tornadoes will be along a portion of the mid-Atlantic coast.
On average, there are 127 fatalities per year associated with flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
AccuWeather meteorologists have outlined an area where flash flooding may pose a significant risk to lives and property for the first part of the Memorial Day weekend. That zone stretches from northeastern Texas to central Kentucky and southwestern Ohio into Friday night.
There is also a threat of flooding downpours on a regional basis farther to the north along the Interstate 44 corridor from Saturday to Sunday, from parts of eastern Oklahoma to central and southern Missouri and western and central Illinois.
Campers are urged to avoid setting up along small streams this weekend due to the danger in these areas. Motorists attempting to cross flooded roads risk becoming swamped by rising water or where the road surface may have been washed away.
Even in the stormiest locations, there will be opportunities to spend time outdoors thanks to many hours of daylight. Check the latest AccuWeather forecast and app, which has hourly information, radar and weather alerts. Be sure to use sunscreen, as even in cool conditions, the sun's rays are intense in late May with the summer solstice less than 30 days away.
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