As coronavirus restrictions ease up, South Florida faces a soggy Memorial Day weekend
South Florida is in for a soggy Memorial Day. But you weren’t going to the beach yet anyway — if that’s any consolation.
Miami-Dade plans to open its beaches on June 1 and Broward a bit earlier, on Tuesday after Memorial Day. Which is just as well, since on Monday we should see a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms.
Gusty winds, frequent lightning and waterspouts will be possible with the strongest storm, as well as localized flooding along the Gulf Coast if the storms are heavy, said the National Weather Service in Miami in its hazardous weather outlook.
There will also be rip currents along South Florida’s beaches through Memorial Day.
Sunday will be even wetter with an 80% chance of getting soaked somewhere.
Kendall already saw a brief passing shower Saturday morning.
“Sunshine will hang around South Florida today with rain chances favoring the Keys this afternoon,” WPLG meteorolgist Jordan Patrick said on Twitter. “We take a very soggy turn by Sunday as tropical moisture moves in from the Caribbean.”
Florida Keys weather
The Florida Keys, which is open to residents as the coronavirus numbers are lower than Miami-Dade and Broward, plans to open its checkpoints and resume business to tourists on June 1, will see much of the rain this Memorial Day weekend.
Rain chances range from 40% Saturday to 70% Sunday. Memorial Day dips to 60%.
“Memorial Day Weekend is shaping up to be quite rainy,” the National Weather Service in Key West said on Saturday. “Rain chances will be above average and wind gusts will reach around 20 mph for a majority of the weekend. “
On Tuesday, when you can once again go to the beach in Broward — albeit with social distancing requirements — there will still be a 60% chance of rain and storms into Wednesday.
What you can do in South Florida
You can visit some of the partly reopened attractions, like Vizcaya in Miami where 10 acres of outdoor gardens are open. But the museum where, presumably you could dart inside to escape the likely rain, will remain closed.
You could also take a drive to the Everglades and do some (maybe soggy) things there, too. The main visitors’ entrance in Homestead is open, and visitors can rent canoes and kayaks at the park.
You may consider inviting a friend over to your house but experts suggest hosting any such — read: small — gatherings outdoors in the backyard rather than having even well-meaning friends traipsing through your house. And if you do bring someone over for some much-needed social interaction make sure to maintain the recommended six feet of distance, hold off on hugs y besos for now, too. Masks would be wise to have on hand.
And umbrellas, of course.
Parks are open but with restrictions that vary depending on whether the park is run by a municipality, Miami-Dade County or Broward County. In all cases, the traditional Memorial Day barbecue cookout and picnic isn’t allowed and consider if it’s as wet as forecasters predict you won’t want to huddle together too closely under a hut — and you can’t have a group of 10 or more, anyway.
Malls are also open in South Florida and those are indoors, though crowd sizes will be reduced to comply with COVID-19 regulations.
