Apologies to picnic lovers everywhere — Memorial Day weekend in Northern Virginia is shaping up to be cool and wet, with multiple rounds of showers likely.
According to the latest AccuWeather forecast, rain is on the menu along the entire East Coast as a front system bringing cold air down from Canada interacts with warm, wet air moving up from the south.
The clash is expected to bring multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, with the National Weather Service predicting rainfall totals of 1 to more than 2 inches from the Gulf Coast to southern New England.
Showers will begin on Friday, on a day when the high temperature will barely crack 60 degrees.
The rain will continue into Saturday, with possible thunderstorms and strong wind gusts that could carry away your umbrella.
On Sunday, temperatures will finally climb as the rain dries up, but clouds will linger. Sunday is forecast to be the weekend’s driest day, so if you’re dragging out a grill, it's probably best to do it then.
Monday’s high temperatures are even warmer, though the rain and storms are expected to return in the afternoon.
It’s a bad forecast for outdoor outings, but a welcome one for the area’s plants and wild animals, which have been suffering through a drought. According to the Capital Weather Gang, this weekend’s rain will bring the region’s May rainfall back to normal levels, perhaps giving NoVA residents something to celebrate this holiday weekend.
Here's a look at the detailed forecast for Northern Virginia:
Friday: Showers, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 61. East wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.
Friday night: Showers. Low around 49. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Saturday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. High near 61. East wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.
Saturday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 53. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Sunday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Sunday night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Memorial Day: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Monday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
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