How Miami weather may affect your Labor Day weekend plans. See the details
As South Florida sweltered under a heat advisory that warned of feels-like temperatures of 108, thoughts turned to the coming long Labor Day weekend. Are we going to need to carry along little personal ACs with us to our picnics and outings?
Other parts of the country may be cooling off, but we’re still heating up. Expect steamy low-90s days Friday and into the long Saturday through Monday holiday weekend.
One thing is for sure: You’ll need an umbrella — and not for the beach.
Rain and thunderstorm chances are in the 70%-90% range for Miami-Dade and Broward counties because of a system, like a disturbance, that will draw in extra moisture over the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas, said meteorologist Chuck Caracozza of the National Weather Service in Miami.
But no, this isn’t the same as a tropical system, Caracozza said. On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center forecast no new tropical activity for the coming week, which takes us past the holiday.
Rainfall totals could hit 4 inches, with localized amounts doubling that figure. That much rain could lead to potential flash flooding, the weather service said on Thursday.
The reason for the expected wet weather lies in a fertile boundary stalled to the north that’s going to pull the moisture into the South Florida area, Caracozza said. The front will also shift winds to the west and southwest.
“That is going to shift the showers and thunderstorms pretty much towards the east coast metro areas,” Caracozza said.
Rain chance
Increased rain begins Friday and runs at least through Tuesday in Miami-Dade and Broward. Here’s a breakdown:
- Friday, When you may be heading on the road for the long weekend: 30% to 80%.
- Saturday: 90%.
- Sunday: 80%.
- Labor Day Monday: 80%.
- Tuesday: When you’ll return to work and school, a 70% chance of rain and thunderstorms into Wednesday.
The soggy weather looks to continue into the work week with at least a 60% chance of storms into Thursday.
Key West forecast
Heading to Key West for the four-day Labor Day “Just a Few Friends: Key West Favorite Son Celebration” that’s paying homage to the late Jimmy Buffett? There’s going to be parades, concerts featuring Coral Reefer Band members, book signings and parties celebrating the “Margaritaville” man who branded the barefoot paradise more than 50 years ago.
If you are heading to the Keys for the musical holiday weekend you’ll be sailing into somewhat clearer skies. The rain chance is a steady 50% from Friday to Labor Day and through the work week.
If you’re boating along coastal waters you may encounter cloud to surface lightning, heavy rains and wind gusts to 25 knots, the weather service in the Keys said on Friday.
More heat advisories?
It’s hot, hot, hot. But does the wet forecast foretell a cool-down?
“We probably will be cooler, whatever cooler means in September, early September, but we’ll be cooler,” Caracozza said. But he points out that we’re still going to broil under the high-80s and around 90, with the southeasterly wind flow.
“You’re talking just a little bit cooler because of the substantial cloud cover and rain chances,” he said. “But still summer time heat.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM.
