What Weather to Expect This Labor Day Weekend
The holiday brings both sunshine and a growing threat of severe storms.
— -- It's a weekend we all knew would come too quickly. Labor Day marks the final "unofficial" weekend of summer.
As many of you will travel, head outdoors or hit the beach, we all wonder what kind of weather may or may not stand in our way. According to the American Automobile Association, some 35 million people will be on the roads and at airports starting Saturday.
Dangerous weather is expected in the center of the country this weekend. From Dakotas to Great Lakes and into the Plains -- damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes are possible. Cities that will see these conditions are; Bismarck, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City and Wichita.
In addition, these storms could bring rainfall amounts 2 to 3+ inches, producing flash flooding on the interstates from Midwest to the Gulf Coast. For Midwest: I-90, I-35, I-94 and I-80 and for the South: I-40 and I-10 along the Gulf Coast. In addition, two tropical systems, Marie in the Pacific, Cristobal in the Atlantic, have been stirring up high waves and strong rip currents on BOTH coasts this week. Luckily, the beach conditions improve just in time for the holiday weekend, on both the east and west, as the storms weaken and move away.
The heat and humidity is on the rise for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. After what's been a rather mild summer, a burst of above normal temperatures takes over much of the area over the weekend and into next week. Temperatures will generally be in the upper 80s, with some spots seeing 90s further south. It looks to be an unsettled weekend for the east coast, but not a washout. Some days will be better than others, with the best chance for storms falling on Labor Day for cities like Washington DC, New York and Boston.
The place to be for abundant sunshine will be the Southwest, and most of the west coast, where a stretch of dry weather dominates the region.
The Southwest stays hot with temperatures in the 80s and 90s, but much cooler air will filter into the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures could struggle to even reach the 70s. Seattle is looking at highs in the 60s with the chance of showers each day.