United States

By Matt Alto, Meteorologist

September 02, 2012; 3:37 PM

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A sunny day at a Florida beach by flickr user Photo Knight

With the Labor Day weekend upon us, many Americans have packed their beach gear and jumped into cars to flock to the thousands of beaches across the country for the long weekend.

While Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of hard-working Americans, it also symbolizes the end of summer for many American families.

Many beach-goers will have good weather this long holiday weekend with the bulk of the stormy weather across the interior of the country, including Tropical Rainstorm Isaac.

Northeast

High pressure centered over southeastern Canada will provide nearly "perfect" beach weather as sunshine dominates New England. Some clouds will spread across the region from south to north on Labor Day, but any rain should hold off for the holiday weekend.

Although temperatures across the New England beaches will be in the middle to upper 70s, low humidity and afternoon temperatures in the middle to upper 80s can be expected from the Hamptons to the New Jersey shore.

Those not only looking to soak in the sunshine but also jump into the beach waters will enjoy ocean temperatures which are currently running on average 2 to 4 degrees above normal regionwide. For example, Atlantic City's water temperatures are currently in the upper 70s. Normal water temperatures this time of year are in the lower 70s.

Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas

While high pressure provided a dry and sunny start to the weekend, the combination of a cool front and moisture from Tropical Rainstorm Isaac will begin to bring the chance for spotty showers and thunderstorms for Labor Day. Even though the storm threat will be isolated, any thunderstorms that erupt may be heavy enough to result in flash flooding.

Although not all beach locations will have a storm this week and there will be a good deal of sunshine as temperatures during the afternoon hours warm into the middle to upper 80s to near 90 at some of the South Carolina and Georgia beaches.

Many water lovers will enjoy water temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s at the mid-Atlantic and Carolinas beaches. Water temperatures at many of the beaches along the mid-Atlantic, including Ocean City, Md., are running about 2 to 4 degrees above normal. Farther south in the Carolinas, water temperatures are near normal for the beginning of September.

With Leslie churning in the Atlantic, rough surf and rip currents may be a threat. Heed any warnings from lifeguards.

Gulf Coast States

Typical summertime conditions are expected for those heading to beaches across the Gulf Coast and Florida for the Labor Day weekend. Thunderstorms will erupt across portions of the Gulf States and across southern Florida.

A few storms may even turn severe on Labor Day, including in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Montgomery and Atlanta.

Beach-goers across the South can expect temperatures to warm into the upper 80s to lower 90s. Those looking to cool off by taking a dip in the ocean can expect water temperatures from the eastern beaches of Florida to the Gulf of Mexico to generally be in the middle to upper 80s.