Beachgoers brave nasty travel conditions to enjoy Memorial Day Weekend at shore

PHILADELPHIA - Afternoon storms didn't stop flocks of beachgoers from braving nasty weather conditions and traffic to get a jump start on Memorial Day Weekend.

A cluster of strong storms barreled over parts of the Delaware Valley on Friday, brining heavy rain and severe weather warnings. The National Weather Service issued brief tornado warnings for a pair of New Jersey counties during rush hour. 

The storms couldn't have come at a worse time for vacationers eager to spend the long weekend enjoying the New Jersey shore. George Fraioli and Ryan McShane said they left for Wildwood right after work and joined a cavan of beachgoers. 

Beachgoers flocked to the New Jersey shore to enjoy Memorial Day Weekend.

"It was horrible," McShane said. "Soon as we got on 95 we were like bumper-to-bumper traffic. There was an accident that we saw, but after that it cleared up, so we were cruising along."

The storms started to move off-shore around 6 p.m., which helped make driving conditions slightly more tenable. Sarah Kemeter headed to Brigantine on Friday and said she missed the worst of the rain and traffic. 

The storms and traffic were just minor annoyances to handle in return for what forecasters believe will be a very enjoyable weekend at the shore. FOX 29's Scott Williams is forecasting three days of mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid-to-low 70s.