Holiday forecast ‘typical’ for time

Outdoor activities get a green light, but NWS says watch out for rain

Enjoy your time at the beaches and barbecue grills this Memorial Day weekend, South Florida. But be on the lookout for afternoon storms as the summer weather pattern ramps up.

The two things to watch on Monday, Memorial Day, are rain and the rip current risk, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Kelly.

“There’s still uncertainty how widespread things may get this weekend,” Kelly said, “but it is going to be an increase in what we’ve seen the past few days.

“Not a complete washout any day … more the typical summertime pattern we usually see here in South Florida. But just know it could be higher rain chances than what we’ve been seeing for much of the past few days.”

A low pressure system and a cold front are making their way across the northern Gulf of Mexico and that will bring rain over the next few days even though the front will stall before it reaches South Florida.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast beginning Friday and extending through the Memorial Day weekend, but there shouldn’t be a total washout on any day.

The rip current risk is high Friday, then tapers off a bit Saturday, although it’ll remain moderate in Palm Beach County, and then returns to high on Monday.

Looking ahead, no tropical activity is expected for the next five days. If that pattern holds, it’ll disrupt a seven-year stretch during which a named storm has cropped up before the June 1 start of the hurricane season. But forecasters say that doesn’t change the hurricane season outlook, which again points toward an above-average year.

The two-week Florida sales tax holiday, a time to stock up on hurricane supplies without paying a sales tax, begins Saturday.