Labor Day AccuWeather forecast: Who's hot, who's cool and who's getting rained on?
Labor Day weekend will feature cool air for over 100 million in the Midwest and Northeast, hazardous rip currents along the East Coast, drenching downpours in parts of the Plains and South, and heat building in the West.
The start of Labor Day weekend is a wet one across the Gulf.
While cool conditions grip much of the Midwest and Northeast, parts of the West are heating up. Some areas remain dry, while others face repeated rounds of rain through Labor Day and back to work or school on Tuesday.
Safety first
Be safe in the surf this holiday. Rip currents are almost always present along the United States coastline, even in calm conditions. Stronger currents are likely from Florida to Delaware on Labor Day due to persistent northeast breezes, but not Hurricane Erin.
Reports vary, but approximately three dozen people have drowned in surf-related incidents in the U.S. so far this year.
Temperatures nationwide indicate a hint of autumn and mid-summer heat
Through Labor Day weekend, about 120 million people in the Midwest and Northeast will experience cooler-than-average conditions, although the latest chilly spell will begin to ease. Highs on Labor Day will average 4–8 degrees Fahrenheit below historical averages with some locations slightly higher or lower.
Highs will reach the 70s in Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Boston. Cincinnati, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will reach the low 80s, while New York City may fall short of 80.
Across parts of the southern U.S., highs will be in the 80s on Labor Day compared to the more typical 90s for this time of year. Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Orlando and New Orleans can expect highs in the 80s. Charlotte might just touch 80.
The hot spots will continue to be just west of the Rockies to just inland of the Pacific Coast with widespread 90s, including downtown Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
However, some cities, such as Sacramento, California, and Spokane, Washington, will reach within a few degrees of 100. Heat in Las Vegas and Phoenix is routine for early September. The interior Northwest is experiencing a significant heatwave that may expand toward the Pacific Coast.
Downpours to persist in parts of Plains and South
By early September, prolonged summer heat often lowers groundwater levels, reduces reservoirs and dries out small streams and agricultural ponds. So when rain doesn't fall on a holiday, ruin outdoor plans or lead to flooding, it is generally welcomed by late summer.
While weather systems usually move quickly, they sometimes stall and bring hours or even days of heavy, problematic downpours. Such is the case for portions of the Plains and the Southern states on Labor Day.
The zone where the most persistent downpours are forecast will stretch from near Tulsa, Oklahoma through Omaha, Nebraska. These downpours may be capable of producing poor visibility and ponding in areas that drain poorly.
Labor Day events in this zone may be disrupted by drenching downpours that could cancel or move activities indoors.
About 800 miles to the east, another trouble spot will persist.
A slow-moving front will continue to be the focus for drenching showers and locally gusty thunderstorms over Florida.
Beachgoers and theme park visitors in Florida may need to dodge downpours and seek shelter when thunderstorms develop. In the more extreme storms, rainfall rates could approach 1-2 inches per hour.
Just like over portions of the Plains states, motorists venturing along Florida's highways could have torrential downpours and ponding that require reduced speed. Some low-lying areas in city streets and rural areas could briefly be inundated. The greatest concentration of the downpours may affect Miami and Naples, Florida.
Some dry air will continue to push showers away from the Carolinas. However, as moisture extends north from the Gulf farther to the west, showers could interrupt outdoor plans in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as Atlanta and Nashville.
Farther west, the massive zone of showers and thunderstorms that has persisted into the start of the Labor Day weekend in portions of the Rockies and High Plains will shrink southward by Labor Day.
As with any persistent downpours over the hard soils and steep terrain in Texas, flash flooding will be a risk. Be cautious along streams, including normally dry washes or shallow rivers that can briefly turn into raging torrents. Move indoors at the first sign of thunder.
Back-to-School and Work Forecast
Little will change in the pattern as hundreds of millions head back to work or school on Tuesday.
Commuters in South Florida, much of the Gulf Coast, parts of the Plains, Minnesota and Wisconsin and areas of Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona and Texas are most likely to face wet conditions. Those who will be on foot in these areas may want to consider taking an umbrella.
Dry and cool conditions will persist throughout the Northeast with dry and seasonable air from Colorado to Montana. Farther west, many areas will experience early September heat, while more temperate conditions will prevail along the Pacific Coast, including San Francisco.
The pattern shifted a couple of weeks ago and has remained consistent, but it may intensify during the first full week of September.
The jet stream is forecast to deliver colder air to the Central and Eastern states while intensifying the heat across parts of the West.
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