It's that time of year again. Time to dust off the barbecue and replace coats with bathing suits. Memorial Day weekend is finally here, the unofficial start of summer.
Warm sunshine is expected on both coasts, which is great news for the beaches, but that isn't the case for the plain states, the Midwest and central parts of the country.
The East Coast will see temperatures climb throughout the weekend from Florida to New Jersey. By Monday, some spots could reach the mid- to upper-80s in the Mid-Atlantic states. New England will be a bit milder, with highs topping out in the 60s and 70s. Dry weather is on tap for much of the coast, with a bright mix of sun and clouds -- great beach weather.
Out West, more sunshine and warm temperatures, especially for Southern California and the Southwest. The Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies could see some wet weather throughout the weekend. Scattered showers with mostly cloudy skies are expected with cooler temperatures in the 60s.
The main trouble area for the weekend is across the plain states and the Midwest, where scattered thunderstorms, some severe, will threaten the area each day of the holiday weekend, and could put a damper on any outdoor activities. Large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are possible from the Southern Plains to the Midwest, mainly in the afternoon and evening hours from Saturday through Monday.
A bigger concern with these storms will be the potential for significant flooding over the weekend, especially in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Texas was in an exceptional drought the past 3 to 5 years, and with these recent rains this month they are finally seeing some relief. But all of this rain so fast is causing dangerous flash flooding.
In Oklahoma City, they've already received nearly 14 inches this month, and with more rain on the way, May 2015 will likely go down as the wettest month on record there. From Texas to Oklahoma, flash flood watches are posted through the holiday weekend for an additional three to six inches of rain. On top of already saturated ground, this could become a life-threatening flood situation, and anyone with outdoor plans should pay attention to severe and flash flood warnings in their area.