Memorial Day weekend weather planner

WASHINGTON — It’s that time of year again, the unofficial start of summer: Memorial Day Weekend (the official start of summer is June 21 of this year). If you are brave enough to deal with traffic, you are headed to the beaches to soak in the sun this holiday weekend (but let’s not forget the true meaning of the holiday).

Lucky for much of the Mid-Atlantic, high pressure will be building east-southeast from the upper Midwest on Friday and Saturday. It will scoot off the coast on Sunday bumping up the temperatures and humidity — and maybe the chances of rain. Will there be sun for you to soak in at the beach? Is the grilling weather going to hold out for Monday if you are staying home? Here is a rundown of what to expect this holiday weekend:

Thursday Travel: If you are traveling Thursday to get a little head start on the traffic, you may want to watch for some rain through the day and night, specifically if you are heading south. An area of low pressure will actually ride along a stalled frontal boundary draped across the southern states. That low will spread clouds and some small rain chances even into the D.C. area on Thursday with the heaviest rain expected south of Richmond.

Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany (Delaware Beaches) and Ocean City, Maryland — Water Temp: 62 degrees


A few isolated showers and maybe a storm could hit the Delaware and Maryland beaches on Monday. The chances are slight at this point, but the heat and humidity come back to play on Memorial Day.

Virginia Beach area beaches — Water Temp: 68 degrees
Saturday: All sunshine! Cool, temps in the upper 60s
Sunday: Full of sunshine, warmer. Lower to mid 70s
Memorial Day: Much warmer and humid with mostly sunny skies. Temperatures nearing 80.

Outer Banks, North Carolina — Water Temp: 65 degrees
Saturday: Sunshine with temperatures near 70 degrees
Sunday: Mostly sunny and mild. Temperatures in the lower 70s.
Memorial Day: Continued sunshine, slightly more humid and warm. Temperatures in the upper 70s.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — Water Temp: 73 degrees
Saturday: Mostly sunny! Temperatures in the upper 70s.
Sunday: Similar to Saturday, sunshine and upper 70s.
Memorial Day: Blue skies, high UV index with temperatures around 80.

Washington D.C. area and Chesapeake Bay — Chesapeake Water Temp: 67 degrees
Saturday: Gorgeous with low humidity! Temperatures very mild: Mid 70s
Sunday: Sunshine continues and still comfortable with temperatures around 80
Memorial Day: Mix of sun and clouds, isolated showers possible. Hot and humid: Mid 80s

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