Fox Weather warns heavy Memorial Day rain

FOX Weather said on May 17 that heavy rain, thunderstorms and cooler temperatures could disrupt Memorial Day weekend plans across much of the United States. The outlet said a high-pressure system off the Eastern Seaboard and a disturbance moving out of the West were expected to funnel Atlantic and Gulf moisture into the holiday period. The forecast pointed to a broad corridor of wet weather from the South into the Northeast. It also said major airports in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Atlanta were worth monitoring for possible travel problems. ### Where is the broadest rain threat showing up? FOX Weather said the heaviest holiday-period rain threat extended from the South to the Northeast. The report said widespread rain and thunderstorms were likely as the pattern pulled moisture inland ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Cities named in the forecast included Houston, Nashville and New York City. FOX Weather said multiple inches of rain were possible in those locations, a level that could interrupt beach trips, cookouts and road travel during the unofficial start of summer. ### Why did FOX Weather say temperatures could feel out of step with late May? FOX Weather said cooler air would follow the wet pattern in parts of the East. The report said temperatures in the Northeast could fall into the upper 60s as early as Thursday, replacing the summer-like warmth many areas were feeling earlier in the week. The outlet described that setup as another wet weekend for the Northeast, with a fresh round of cool conditions layered on top of the rain threat. The combination, rather than rain alone, was central to the warning for beach and outdoor travel. ### Which travel hubs were singled out? Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Atlanta were the three major airport markets FOX Weather named for closer monitoring. The outlet said storms continuing through the weekend posed a risk to millions of Americans traveling for the long holiday break. Houston appeared in both parts of the warning. FOX Weather listed it among cities that could see multiple inches of rain, and also among airports where travelers should watch for disruptions. ### What are federal forecasters in Louisiana saying? The National Weather Service office in New Orleans/Baton Rouge said on May 18 that confidence was “higher than normal” that the region would be in a summertime pattern over Memorial Day weekend. The office said there was a 60% to 80% chance of mainly afternoon and evening showers and storms each day. The New Orleans/Baton Rouge office also said it was “not anticipating all-day washouts each day,” with dry periods expected between rounds of rain. Forecasters told residents with outdoor plans to have a backup plan and told travelers to watch for flooded roadways. The National Weather Service office in Lake Charles said on May 18 that rain chances would rise starting Wednesday and continue through the weekend. That office said multiple rounds of heavy rain could create a flash-flood threat across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, with a marginal flash-flood risk Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. ### Does the wider federal outlook support a wet setup? The Weather Prediction Center said in its May 17 short-range forecast discussion that a multi-day severe weather and flash-flood threat would continue across the Midwest and Plains. The center attributed that pattern to a slow-moving front, strong instability and moisture drawn northward from the Gulf. That federal discussion covered the first half of the week rather than Memorial Day weekend itself, but it showed the same larger-scale ingredients — Gulf moisture and repeated disturbances — that local and private forecasters were citing as they looked ahead to the holiday period. ### What should travelers and beachgoers watch next? May 25 is Memorial Day, and the most useful next updates are expected from local National Weather Service forecast offices and airport-specific advisories later this week. The New Orleans/Baton Rouge and Lake Charles offices were already posting weekend key messages on May 18, while FOX Weather said travelers should keep watch on Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Atlanta as the holiday approaches.