Rainy weekend expected in latest Charlotte Memorial Day forecast
Charlotte-area residents should still be able to grill outdoors over the Memorial Day weekend despite showers and possible thunderstorms in the forecast, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Friday.
The best chance of no rain is morning and early afternoon each day through Monday, NWS forecaster Clay Chaney said.
Showers and thunderstorms threaten events such as the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, set for 6 p.m. Sunday, Chaney said.
“Not the best day for a NASCAR race,” he said.
The race start time falls between a period in the afternoon where showers are expected, and a time in the evening when the chance of showers and thunderstorms increases even more, he said.
The chance of rain during the race is 80% to 90%, Chaney said.
The official NWS forecast page for Concord pegs the chance of showers all day and evening Sunday at 90% — down slightly from 100% Saturday.
The chance of showers in Charlotte is forecast to rise from 40% or 50% on Friday to 90% Saturday, 80% Sunday, 80% on Monday and Tuesday, 70% on Wednesday and 50% on Thursday. Rock Hill has a 90% chance of showers on Saturday and an 80% chance on Sunday and Monday.
“We can expect dreary skies and lots of rain the next few days,” NWS forecasters said Friday on social media.
Friday afternoon through Memorial Day, two inches to three inches of rain could fall in the Charlotte region, with the most rain expected in south Charlotte and Pineville and less at Lake Norman, Chaney said.
Cooler temps, help with drought
At least temperatures will be cooler than recent days, Chaney said. The NWS forecasts highs of 79 on Friday, 77 on Saturday, 82 on Sunday and Monday, 83 on Tuesday and 84 on Wednesday and Thursday.
The rain “will definitely be helpful to the drought, but it’s going to be awhile for that to go,” Chaney said. “We’ll need 10 inches to 15 inches in a month’s period to fully get rid of drought. Over three months – summer – we would need 20 inches to 24 inches.
“A tropical system would help as well, not that we want one,” he said.
This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Rainy weekend expected in latest Charlotte Memorial Day forecast."