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Weather

Rain, wind gusts in the forecast for Memorial Day weekend in Hampton Roads

The Virginian-Pilot
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FILE - People look out at the Avalon Pier that was damaged by Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 6, 2019, in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Dorian passed Charleston, South Carolina, as a category 3 storm and then hit the Outer Banks as a category 1 storm.

FILE - People look out at the Avalon Pier that was damaged by Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 6, 2019, in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Dorian passed Charleston, South Carolina, as a category 3 storm and then hit the Outer Banks as a category 1 storm. (Mark Wilson/Getty)

If you plan to spend Memorial Day weekend in Hampton Roads or the Outer Banks, you might want to pack an umbrella — and a windbreaker.

The National Weather Service in Wakefield is predicting rain for most of the region leading up to the holiday.

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“Unsettled conditions” from a coastal low-pressure system will linger over the weekend, with widespread rain showers beginning Saturday into Sunday and early next week, according to a Thursday briefing from the weather service. Wind gusts as high as 35 to 40 mph will be possible along and near the coast during the day on Saturday. In Hampton Roads, forecasts show between 0.5 to 1 inch of rain through Sunday morning. Toward Elizabeth City, rain forecasts are between 1 and 1.5 inches.

The weather service is predicting high temperatures in the mid-60s on Saturday in Virginia Beach, with a 35% percent chance of rain in the morning increasing to 59% in the afternoon. Sunday’s highs could reach the mid-70s by the afternoon, with a 65% chance of precipitation in the morning and a 56% chance in the afternoon. Temperatures could reach the mid-70s again on Monday, with a 43-50% chance of rain. Rain chances are lower for inland portions of Hampton Roads.

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“In addition to the unsettled weather, elevated waves and rip currents are expected at area beaches through the weekend,” according to the weather service.

As for the Outer Banks, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is warning travelers and tourists of blowing sand on parts of North Carolina Highway 12. NCDOT crews will be out clearing the sand periodically all week, and the National Weather Service office in Morehead City has put out a gale warning in effect until Saturday afternoon.

During the warning, northeast winds could reach speeds of 28 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 51. According to meteorologists, strong winds will cause hazardous seas — 8 to 13 feet — that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Latest forecast guidance suggests widespread rainfall amounts around 1 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.

“This will bring a threat for localized flooding and excessive runoff across the area this weekend,” the weather service said in a forecast. “In addition, this system will bring the potential for several coastal threats including rough surf and minor coastal flooding and an elevated rip current risk.”

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

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