What’s the weather look like for Memorial Day weekend in Florida? And will you like it?
Remember thunderstorms?
We had them in May, but this week has been so dry it feels like it’s been a season.
But you may become reacquainted with summer weather in time for the holiday weekend.
The National Weather Service in Miami started to tease about Memorial Day on Wednesday morning when its meteorologists posted on Twitter: “Another quiet weather day for us in the southern tip of the Sunshine State! Here’s a little sneak peek ... a weather pattern change is expected late this weekend through early next week. What does that mean? It means that rain chances increase.”
Granted, a rain chance of near nil from Wednesday though Saturday morphing into a 30% thunderstorm chance on Sunday and 40% Sunday night isn’t mega. Unless you’re an organizer for this weekend’s Hyundai Air & Sea Show and its return to Miami Beach on Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30.
But it did merit a hazardous weather outlook alert on the weather service’s website and a suggestion to keep checking on that forecast before we hit the long weekend — including a nod toward boaters to be aware of conditions before heading out on the waters.
According to the outlook, the potential Memorial Day Weekend thunderstorms could be soakers, with occasional “cloud-to-ground lightning” and gusty winds.
Watch out for rip currents along South Florida beaches from Wednesday though the weekend, too.
On Memorial Day Monday, Miami-Dade and Broward counties are looking at a 50% storm chance that rises to 60% Tuesday as many of us head back to work. Wednesday remains at 60% and the weather could remain unsettled through Friday.
One plus: the temperatures will remain, well, tolerable. Look for highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-70s through the three-day weekend, according to the weather service.
But NBC6 meteorologist Adam Berg forecasts a “sticky” Sunday, meaning hot and humid.
Going to Key West?
The Florida Keys follows that weather pattern with a steady 10% rain chance and the 20%-40% rise Sunday through Tuesday. The temperature range runs about one degree warmer than Miami on both ends.
But there are no hazardous weather alerts for the Keys as of Wednesday’s forecast. So look for the kind of inviting weather and clear skies on the waters that inspire songwriters like former New York Congressman John Hall to pay homage to the island chain, as the Orleans singer does with “Islamorada” on his Friday album release, “Reclaiming My Time.”
A hot ride to Orlando
However, if a trip to one of the theme park attractions in the Orlando area like Disney, Universal or SeaWorld is on your itinerary, be prepared to swelter.
Temperatures will hit the mid-90s in Central Florida, as opposed to about 10 degrees cooler on the southeast coast. There is also a continuing fire weather concern. “Dry vegetation combined with low relative humidity will produce a high fire weather danger across east central Florida once again,” the National Weather Service said in its warning to urge residents to refrain from burning anything outdoors.
Well above normal temperatures are forecast Thursday and Friday. And until Sunday’s 40% thunderstorm chance and Memorial Day’s 50% chance, the continued dryness, combined with low relative humidity and dry ground conditions, will keep that fire weather danger intact into the weekend.
Sanibel and Captiva captivate
For clear skies through Sunday you might want to consider a drive to Sanibel and Captiva, where rain chances are minimal through Sunday and then climb to 30% on Monday, the holiday, and 40% Tuesday. Highs will be in the upper-80s and lows in the upper-70s. No weather alerts were sent out for the region as of Wednesday.
And as many Floridians know, those Sanibel beaches are gorgeous when the weather cooperates.
Bradenton and Naples’ destinations mirror the Sanibel forecast in both storm chance and temperatures.
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 11:46 AM.
