Memorial Day weekend brings rain and cooler temperatures

It's here! After very little travel for most of us over the last year, a lot of people are anxious to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend. I know some people are longing for some warm, sunny days on the beach or a mild day on a mountain lake.

It's been a dry spring, but our pattern is starting to change as high pressure moves south and opens the door to more fronts coming through with a better chance for rain. Wouldn't you know it – just in time for the holiday weekend. The set up looks like this:

Our high pressure system will shift south toward Florida and that will open the door to more fronts crossing our area. That allows a strong system to move through this weekend. Here's where the front may be on Saturday afternoon.

The question is, where will it be on Sunday? The European model has the front stalling along the coast. If that happens, the beaches will see scattered showers/storms Saturday and Sunday. The American model has the front moving offshore on Saturday night leaving beaches mostly dry for Sunday and Monday.

If dry weather is the most important thing this weekend, the mountains are the best choice.

It will be wet on Friday as the front moves through the mountains first. There could be an isolated shower on Saturday, but Sunday and Monday look dry and cool.

At the beaches, Friday looks mostly dry but Saturday will be wet and stormy and possibly Sunday too.

In either case, it looks dry, cool and less humid for Monday. The weather will be good for Memorial Day ceremonies.

In the WRAL Severe Weather Center we will be watching the new runs of the computer models, and we will let you know our thoughts on whether or not the front will stall on the coast Saturday. Keep checking back!