Drier weather returns for the holiday weekend

It was a very rainy week for Southwest Florida, but this holiday weekend will be a mostly dry one. Throughout the workweek some areas, like parts of Charlotte County, accumulated more than ten inches of rainfall! However, drought persists across the area. We won’t see much help with the drought this weekend, thanks to the drier air moving in behind the cold front that moved through Thursday.

Today expect to see a mix of sun and clouds with just a chance of a stray shower late this afternoon. That’ll be the trend this Memorial Day weekend.

It’s not going to be an ideal day for the boat due to the Gulf still being churned up by that frontal boundary. Wave heights will be around 2-4 ft. with a moderate chop for the bays. As for beach conditions, things are looking good! There’s a low rip current risk today, but remember to try to swim near a lifeguard despite the low-end risk. Red time levels are non-existent for the bulk of Southwest Florida beaches, except for low levels being reported in Sarasota County.

The low pressure system that is currently bringing drier air our way, was being watched by the National Hurricane Center for possible tropical development. However, as of the latest update, there isn’t a chance of seeing any tropical development.