Memorial Day weekend is expected to kick-off summer with nice weather across much of the nation, but parts of the Southeast are a notable exception. There forecasters are watching a system off South Carolina’s coast that is likely to bring stormy weather to land.
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring that system and issued an updated outlook on Saturday: “Even though development into a subtropical or tropical cyclone is not expected, the system will produce gusty winds and dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the southeastern United States coast through Sunday.”
Parts of the mid-Atlantic, Plains and northern Rockies could also have to contend with wet weather at times, according to Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce.
There will also be “an upside-down temperature pattern, where the Midwest will be warmer than average and the Southeast cooler than average,” he said.
No tropical cyclone expected, but rain, wind and ‘dangerous surf’ likely in the Southeast
The Southeast will see some of the nation’s worst weather this holiday weekend, thanks to a non-tropical area of low pressure, the National Hurricane Center said.
“The system appears unlikely to become a subtropical or tropical cyclone,” according to the hurricane center. But it could if the system spends enough time over water.
Regardless of whether a tropical or subtropical system forms, AccuWeather meteorologists say a stormy Memorial Day weekend is in the cards for parts of the Southeast.
The hurricane center warned that “the system is likely to produce gusty winds and dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the southeastern United States late this week and into the weekend. Heavy rainfall is expected in portions of the Carolinas.”
The area of “disturbed weather” stretches from northern Florida to North Carolina, according to AccuWeather.
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Rip current risk is high this weekend
For those who do venture into the water, dangerous rip currents will be something to watch out for at beaches such as Wilmington and the Outer Banks in North Carolina; Charleston and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Daytona Beach in Florida.
How to stay safe at the beach:
- Swim in a lifeguard-protected area.
- Check conditions before entering the water.
- Learn to identify rip currents.
If you’re caught in a rip current:
- Relax; rip currents don’t pull you under.
- Swim parallel to the beach and not against the current.
- Float or tread water until you escape the current or are rescued.
- Draw attention to yourself by yelling and waving.
How to help someone else:
- Call a lifeguard.
- Dial 911.
- Throw the person something that floats.
- Don’t enter the water without a floatation device.
Stormy in the Plains and Rockies
On Saturday, thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon and evening, will be common in the High Plains and northern Rockies, Dolce said.
By Sunday, “another round of thunderstorms will flourish from the High Plains to the northern Rockies and California’s Sierra Nevada,” Dolce said. “It’s possible some of those storms in the Plains could turn severe.” The same holds true for Monday, Memorial Day, he said.
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‘One of the nicest’ holiday weekends in the Northeast, Midwest and West
Other than the aforementioned areas, the rest of the nation should see pleasant weather for the holiday weekend:
“For New England, the upper mid-Atlantic and much of the Midwest, this Memorial Day weekend looks like one of the nicest from start to finish in recent memory,” AccuWeather meteorologist Dean DeVore said.
“For the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, the weather will be dry with temperatures reaching the middle to upper 70s along with plenty of sunshine,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
The West Coast and Southwest will also be rain-free, and clear skies are expected through the weekend, Weather.com said.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY