If we can just get through today, most of the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend looks NICE across much of the nation with sunshine and warm temperatures! But we have to get through today. And today, if it’s anything like yesterday WAY overperforming, will be a rough day for a good part of the eastern US. Of particular concern is the I-95 corridor from Charleston, SC, through Myrtle Beach, eastern NC, RVA, and the Tidewater of Virginia, DC, Baltimore, Philly, NJ, eastern PA, NYC area, eastern NY (especially east of I-81) and all of New England. If you are anywhere I listed above, you are under the gun today and tonight. Eyes to the skies. Have multiple ways to get weather warnings. Take them seriously if you get them.
The flooding and funnel clouds were no joke in my backyard (Upstate of SC) yesterday, way worse than predicted initially. So especially with this being a HUGE travel day and with many interstates fixing to become temporary parking lots as everyone heads somewhere at the same time, today is not the day to turn a blind eye to warnings. Not just severe weather but especially flash flood warnings. Turn around don’t drown isn’t just catchy, it’s truly a lifesaver. So many people get in trouble, lose vehicles and/or lose their lives trying to get around barricades, thinking they know more than the dumb people who closed the road ahead of them, delaying their holiday weekend trip. It is what it is. Go around. Stay safe. Don’t be a dummy that gets reported on the news.
Saturday will be a sunny day across the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Southeast, and the Mississippi Valley. In Pennsylvania, New York, NJ, and New England the clouds, scattered showers, and thunderstorms will hang on into Saturday for a while. If you are on the New England coast, most of the day. If you are in Rochester or Pittsburgh, you should be clear before Noon. It all depends on where you are, but the trend for improving weather on Saturday is clear.
Sunday will be a beautiful day. No problems running the Indianapolis 500. Wall to wall sun. No problems running the Coca-Cola 600. Wall to wall sun. East of the Mississippi you are MONEY. But over the northern Plains, it’s time to be HEADS UP. A slight to enhanced risk of severe weather is present WEST of the Twin Cities, so most of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, and into the northern high plains, watch out for storms with wind, hail, and a few tornadoes. This storm winds up and stalls out by Memorial Day over South Dakota. It means the areas hit Sunday will get hit again Monday, though not as hard. And on the backside of the storm, despite the fact it’s Memorial Day, SNOW across the mountains of Colorado, northern Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. And it may be enough to impact travel across the passes. So if you are in this area of the nation, HEADS UP to that possibility, especially on Monday.
The rest of next week looks sunny and warm east of the Mississippi with that storm over the northern Plains and Rockies continuing to linger and cause trouble into the middle of next week.
