Northeast to enjoy best travel weather as 41.5 million Americans depart for Memorial Day weekend

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The best weather for the millions of travelers headed to Memorial Day holiday destinations will be found in the northeastern United States as storms plague those in the South and Plains.

AAA anticipates more than 41.5 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend, the most in more than a dozen years.

“For the 36.6 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX (a global transportation analytics company), in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24, and Friday, May 25,” AAA reported.

The late afternoon hours are expected to be the worst time for travelers as commuters leave work early and holiday travelers depart, according to AAA.

One million other travelers are expected to reach their holiday destinations by plane.

No weather-related delays to plague travelers in the Northeast, Ohio Valley

“For the Northeast, the days leading up to the holiday weekend will be promising with sunshine,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams said.

Some rain may make northern Maine the exception.

The lack of downpours or low-hanging clouds will definitely be good news to those in Boston and Washington, D.C., where AAA anticipates double the travel times compared to a normal trip on Thursday.

“New Yorkers could see three times the delay [on Friday],” according to AAA.

High pressure will also keep roads dry and flights running without the threat of weather-related delays from Pittsburgh to Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio; Indianapolis; and Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky.

“Thursday’s and Friday’s weather may be deceptive across the Ohio Valley and Northeast due to the storms to come during the holiday weekend,” Abrams said.

More downpours to plague South as tropical concerns mount

While the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are being monitored for tropical development, the pattern of downpours erupting across the South will continue through Friday.

“There can be frequent downpours that can cause highway flooding and slow down trips,” Abrams said. “Water standing on roads will also make it more hazardous for motorists due to the hydroplaning risk.”

Those planning to travel on stretches of interstates 4, 10, 20, 75, 85 and 95 should allow extra time to reach holiday destinations.

The afternoon and evening hours will be the most active times of the day and when air travelers will encounter the highest risk for flight delays. This includes those with flights to or from Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Orlando, Florida.

Thunderstorms may delay travelers across central US

A storm dropping down from central Canada is expected to ignite showers and thunderstorms across parts of the central U.S. later this week.

The North Central states from Iowa to northern Michigan, Minnesota (including Minneapolis) and North Dakota may be more active than points to the south.

That means motorists traveling on interstates 80, 90 and 94 may encounter more downpours and instances of reduced visibility than those on interstates 20 and 40 in the southern Plains.

AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring the potential for a localized number of the thunderstorms to turn severe, especially across the North Central states. That would bring the added danger of damaging winds and hail to travelers.

The unsettled weather is expected to remain north and west of Detroit Thursday and Friday, but may sneak into Chicago and St. Louis as the late week progresses.

“The weather in the Northeast and Ohio Valley may not be shared around Chicago,” Abrams said. “Thursday should be the better day for travelers, but then it goes downhill on Friday night.”

Storms to increase across West Coast by Friday

Any travel delays due to thunderstorms across the West on Thursday are expected to be brief and confined to the afternoon and the mountainous areas from the Sierra Nevada in California to the northern Rockies.

A storm swinging in from the Pacific Ocean will cause rain and thunderstorms to increase on Friday across far Northern California and Oregon.

Motorists planning to travel on Interstate 5 between Sacramento, California, and Portland, Oregon, may encounter wet roads and reduced visibility for a time.

Travelers should fare better in Seattle, where dry weather will hold.

No rain is expected to reach Southern California to create wet roads around Los Angeles and San Diego late this week.

The main issue for travelers in these two cities on Thursday and Friday will be low-hanging clouds in the morning which may result in flight delays, a problem that is fairly common in this area.

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