Fox Weather warns heavy rain Memorial Day

Fox Weather said its latest Memorial Day weekend outlook shows widespread rain across the South and much of the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday and Sunday, with cooler air pushing temperatures in parts of the Northeast back into the 60s. The forecast, published May 17 and updated May 18, said a high-pressure system off the East Coast is expected to pull moisture from the Atlantic and Gulf into a storm track crossing the central and eastern United States. (newsroom.aaa.com) Fox Weather said that setup could bring heavy rain and travel delays through the holiday weekend, especially in major hubs including Dallas, Houston and Atlanta. (foxweather.com) ### Where is the wettest Memorial Day weather expected? Fox Weather said multiple inches of rain are possible from Southeast Texas through Upstate New York over the holiday weekend. The outlet said the San Antonio and Houston metro areas, along with parts of Louisiana and Arkansas, could see 3 to 5 inches of rain. The National Weather Service said on May 19 that severe storms were expected from the Great Lakes into the central and southern Plains, while heavy late-season snow and cold temperatures were forecast in the northern to central Rockies. (foxweather.com) That federal outlook supports a broad pattern of unsettled weather across several inland travel corridors before Memorial Day. ### Which travelers should be watching the forecast most closely? Fox Weather said travelers flying through Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Atlanta should monitor the forecast through the week. Those airports sit in areas the outlet said could see repeated rounds of rain and thunderstorms as the weekend approaches. (foxweather.com) AAA said 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. The group said 39.1 million are expected to drive and 3.66 million to fly, which would set a Memorial Day weekend record for domestic travel. (weather.gov) ### How much cooler will it get in the East? Fox Weather said near-record heat in the 90s in the Northeast is expected to break by Thursday as a cold front moves through. The outlet said highs would then fall back to levels “more reminiscent of early spring,” with much of the region staying in the 60s through the holiday weekend. (foxweather.com) That shift matters for beach and outdoor plans because Memorial Day is often treated as the start of the summer travel season. Fox Weather said the combination of rain and cooler temperatures could dampen outdoor activity across a broad stretch of the East. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Is the West getting the same kind of holiday washout? Fox Weather’s outlook said the West is expected to remain dry and seasonable overall, even as storms move out of the West and across the Heartland into the central and eastern U.S. The National Weather Service, however, said parts of the Southwest face dangerous fire-weather conditions and the Rockies could see late-season snow and cold. (foxweather.com) That means western travelers may face a different mix of hazards than those farther east. In the Southwest, the federal forecast points to dry and windy conditions rather than heavy holiday rain, while the Rockies could see weather more typical of late winter than late May. (foxweather.com) ### What should travelers watch between now and Monday? AAA said Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pickup days for rental cars, while Fox Weather said the heaviest rain threat builds Friday and lasts through the weekend. The National Weather Service’s forecast maps are updating continuously, and Fox Weather’s Memorial Day outlook remains the clearest single snapshot of the holiday setup as of Tuesday, May 19. (foxweather.com) Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day, and the next key updates will come from airport advisories, local National Weather Service offices and revised holiday-weekend forecasts as the storm track becomes more certain. (weather.gov 1) (weather.gov 2) (newsroom.aaa.com)