Grand NYC Memorial Day Weekend Southeast Heatwave Hits Hard
Good morning everyone. Memorial Day Weekend in the NYC area continues to look very nice as it looks like we navigate through the minefield of clouds and rain at night with sunny days. Meanwhile, a major heatwave is setting up in the Southeast, which may cause problems for the elderly and those with health issues.
SATELLITE
Our pattern remains active, but on the move, which means our cold front is long gone. That’ll help give us full sunshine and a stiff breeze today, but sinking air will help warm things nicely; highs in the mid 70’s and some 70’s might even transfer all the way near the shore.
Tomorrow, the winds begin to dial back and the sun remains. We’ll have clouds creeping in late, but they won’t impact the day one iota. Look for seasonal temps to continue with highs in the low to mid 70’s.
Overnight tomorrow, an area of energy may touch off some hefty nocturnal showers and storms. We have to see where they set up and where they drift, but you can bet a complex of storms will be lurking somewhere. Stay tuned and we’ll pinpoint tomorrow where the best chance to see any action will be.
REGIONAL RADAR
Morning clouds will give way to sun on Sunday and it’ll be a very warm one. A light westerly flow will help keep things relatively dry humidity-wise, but that’ll help jack up the temps. For now, we’ll say mid 80’s with slightly cooler temps at the immediate shore; but enough sunshine could get us to near 90 in spots.
Clouds will return Sunday night with a weak area of disturbed weather. I’m still keeping the chance of a shower in the forecast overnight, but we still clear things out for Monday and the sun returns again. For Memorial Day itself, we’re most likely looking at low 80’s and relatively comfortable humidity again.
LOCAL RADAR NEW YORK CITY
I usually don’t go into other parts of the Nation on here unless there are big problems somewhere, and there are big problems developing for the Southeast. A dome of high pressure has settled over the Southeast and it’ll put up shop there in varying degrees/locations for an extended amount of time. All of the major cities in the Southeast could be affected, such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, Orlando, Jacksonville, Augusta, Charleston, and Savannah. (Although the coastal cities mentioned may see scattered relief when the seabreeze becomes available at times.)
Unlike the heat and humidity you see in the summertime with the help of a “Bermuda High”, this one will just park stagnant sinking air over the area. Light winds and relatively dry air will help boost the temps into the low 90’s to near 100 degree realm all the way into early June, with the first sign of relief probably not possible until around June 3rd (give or take a day or two).
Late next week, you could see some relief in the form of afternoon showers and storms as high pressure drifts east, but that’ll just drop the temps slightly and jack up the humidity. Then, the pattern resets itself for a few days and you’re back into the searing heat.
Typically, the Southeast doesn’t have problems with air quality issues, but long-term stagnant air could cause poor air quality advisories to pop up. For the elderly and those with health problems, getting around could become difficult, especially those suffering with pulmonary issues.
Stay cool, stay indoors if possible, limit outdoor activity, and stay hydrated. While not unprecedented, this is not your typical Southeast heat and humidity, and it’s early in the season.
LOCAL RADAR PHILADELPHIA
MANY THANKS TO TROPICAL TIDBITS FOR THE USE OF MAPS
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