Wet Memorial Day weekend threatens travel as 45 million hit the road

A wet Memorial Day weekend is bearing down on much of the East just as 45 million Americans prepare to travel at least 50 miles from home, turning the holiday stretch into a timing problem for drivers, beachgoers and outdoor events. The National Weather Service says widespread rainfall of 1 to more than 2 inches is expected from the Gulf Coast to southern New England, while AccuWeather says parts of Texas through New England could face thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash flooding.

The heaviest disruption is likely to come where the holiday movement is largest. AAA projects 45 million people will travel between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25, 2026, a modest increase from the 44.8 million who traveled over Memorial Day weekend in 2025 and a record for the holiday period. That puts rain on highways, airport runs and return trips at the center of the forecast, especially for travelers crossing the South, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

CBS News meteorologist Rob Marciano has been tracking a pattern that splits the country in two. The West is warming, but the East remains unsettled, and the National Weather Service says the northern Plains are in line for well above-normal temperatures. That contrast means some regions will deal with weather delays and soaked plans, while others will contend more with summer-like heat than storms.

For people heading to the coast, the timing matters as much as the totals. A day that starts dry could give way to downpours later, and a planned cookout, parade or ballgame may face a higher risk than a morning beach visit. In the eastern half of the country, the forecast points less to a full washout than to repeated periods of rain that could make travel slow and outdoor schedules unreliable.

The broader weather picture is already turning toward hurricane season. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, and forecasters are monitoring two tropical waves. For now, neither system poses an immediate threat of development, but the calendar leaves little margin as the holiday weekend gives way to the start of the season.