There’s plenty to do this Memorial Day weekend

There are just a couple of more days until Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start to summer. Many people are already planning a trip to the beach, attending a festival or having a backyard barbecue.

While FOX Weather is tracking a few storm systems that could disrupt outdoor plans in some parts of the U.S., most of the Lower 48 should be dry and very warm, with portions of the Central and Southern Plains and the Southwest seeing temperatures in the 90s and lower to mid-100s.

Headed to the beach?

One of the best parts of the unofficial start to summer is the race to shorelines. To help you prepare, FOX Weather has a look at your weekend beach temperatures from coast to coast.

A stubborn upper-level low could keep the weather unsettled across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Saturday. Scattered rain showers are in the forecast, which could dampen some beach plans along the East Coast. Highs will be in the 70s in most areas, with lower 80s expected in portions of the mid-Atlantic.

The Great American Beach Party has been a tradition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the world-famous beach transforms into an entertainment mecca.

The free, family-friendly event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Showers and thunderstorms are likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Otherwise, expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 88 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 60%.

If the weather holds, festivalgoers can enjoy everything from live music, water slides, classic cars, art shows and a sand-sculpting contest.

Soaring into Memorial Day weekend

Keep an eye on the sky this weekend as the weather cooperates for the return of the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State Park in New York.

It will take place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern. The United States Navy Blue Angels will headline the festival as well as many other performers.

There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Saturday under mostly cloudy skies with a high near 70 degrees. Mostly sunny skies, with a high near 71 degrees, are expected Sunday.

Heavy rain postponed the annual event last year, followed by the pandemic in 2020. More than 300,000 people attended the show in 2019. 

Parades are back!

The National Memorial Day Parade returns for the first time since 2019 to Constitution Avenue in Washington. It’s the nation’s largest Memorial Day salute to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

The parade is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to attend. The two-hour event begins at 2 p.m. Eastern. Sunny skies with a high near 90 degrees are forecast.

The parade will be broadcast nationwide on local TV stations across the country and to U.S. troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. Click here for a list of stations and show times.

The 69th annual St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Memorial Day Parade begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Sunday on Harper Avenue at Ridgeway traveling north to 11 Mile Road. Each year, the parade hosts about 160 entries which makes it one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the area. Organizers guess about 60,000 people will attend on a sunny day. So get there early if you want a good spot.

Mostly sunny skies with a high near 79 degrees are expected by the start of the parade.

Hitting the right notes

If you don’t have plans on Sunday around the Quad Cities, the weather will be perfect for Engage Keosauqua’s 5th annual Rollin’ on the River Music Festival. The “no seats, just good eats” event begins at 11 a.m. CDT at Riverfront Park in Keosauqua, Iowa. 

Dry conditions with temperatures warming from the upper 80s to near 90 degrees are expected during the day. It will also be breezy.