Will the stormy weather continue Memorial Day weekend? What the Florida forecast says
Hitting the road or the water for Memorial Day weekend? Sticking around South Florida?
Wherever you spend the holiday, you’ll want to take note of the weather outlook in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Keys and the rest of Florida.
Here’s what to expect:
South Florida forecast
The National Weather Service in Miami predicts a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday in South Florida and 30% Monday. Blame it on the rainy season.
Despite the soggy disruption of your outdoor afternoon activities or travels, you’ll be able to enjoy the first half of every day with a clear sky.
“Everything will be a hit-or-miss type of thing,” said meteorologist Chuck Caracozza of the National Weather Service in Miami.
This week’s intense storms in Miami-Dade and Broward, which set off flood advisories and shut part of Fort Lauderdale’s airport, will span the rest of the week into Friday, but then ease over the weekend and holiday, Caracozza said.
One possible cause of the stormy weather is a disturbance of disorganized showers and thunderstorms off the coast of central Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. A non-tropical area of low pressure is expected to form Friday night but is unlikely to become a subtropical or tropical cyclone while it moves north over the Carolinas this weekend.
Forecasters said the system will likely produce gusty winds, dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the southeastern United States.
Expect a stormy Friday in South Florida, with improvement over the holiday weekend.
The breakdown:
Miami-Dade: Friday’s rain chance is 80% but the holiday weekend shows signs of improvement. Saturday’s forecast calls for a 50% chance, dropping to 40% on Sunday. For Memorial Day Monday, the weather service forecasts a 40% chance of rain or storms, with a high near 90.
Broward: Friday’s rain outlook is 80% with possible showers and storms starting after 8 a.m. On Saturday, rain chance drops to 50% and then 40% on Sunday. Monday may be less wet, with the rain chance falling to 30%, with mostly sunny skies.
The Keys: Rain chance is 40% on Friday and Saturday with partly sunny skies. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a 20% chance of rain. Expect mostly sunny skies on Memorial Day with a 20% chance of rain and a high of 92.
Palm Beach: On Friday, rain chance is 80%. Going into Saturday, rain could fall before 8 a.m. and after 2 p.m. Sunday’s rain chance is 50%. The weather service predicts Monday will be mostly sunny with a 30% chance of rain.
Note: According to the weather service, some of the thunderstorms could be severe with locally heavy rainfall, gusty winds, small hail, and lightning.
Florida forecast
If you are planning on traveling, you may face rain more of the same depending on your destination.
Naples/Marco Island/Fort Myers: The weather service predicts Gulf Coast destinations will likely see scattered showers after 4 p.m. Friday and then afternoon thunderstorms. Chance of rain is 60% with a high near 85. Scattered rain and possible storms continue on Saturday, but the chance of rain lowers to 20%. Sunday will likely be sunny with a 20% chance of rain. Monday’s forecast is mostly sunny.
Tampa/St. Pete: Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely on Friday, with a 60% chance of rain in Tampa and 40% in St. Petersburg. Saturday, Sunday and Monday will likely be sunny.
Orlando: The chance of rain on Friday is 70%, with showers and a possible thunderstorm after 2 p.m. The chance of showers and thunderstorms on Saturday is 20%. The weather service predicts mostly sunny skies on Sunday and Memorial Day.
Treasure Coast: Friday’s forecast predicts a 80% chance of rain with possible thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Saturday’s chance of rain is 30% with possible showers and thunderstorms through the day. On Sunday, there’s a 30% chance of rain. Memorial Day will be mostly sunny with a 20% chance of rain.
Panhandle: A 20% percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. on Friday. Sunny through the holiday weekend, highs in the mid-80s.
Marine forecast in Florida
Atlantic Ocean: Rip currents may increase over the weekend, starting along Palm Beach County beaches and increasing along the east coast as the holiday approaches, the weather service said.
Gulf of Mexico: Low rip currents in the Naples area on Friday and Saturday. Low concentrations of red tide in Southwest Florida.
Biscayne Bay: Boaters can expect a light chop.
Miami Herald staff writers Howard Cohen and Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 7:02 AM.
