Early Fourth of July Forecast Shows Mixed Bag of Conditions

Independence Day is on the horizon. Will the weather hold up for all of the outdoor festivities? Here is an early look at the Fourth of July forecast.

Millions of Americans Will See a Scorcher of a Holiday

As is typical, much of the U.S. will see hot conditions on the Fourth of July holiday. However, some of the heat will be tempered at times by clouds, rain, and even some sporadic thunderstorms. Although temperatures will hover around average for most Americans, some communities will be dealing with extreme heat by early July standards.

The Southeast is one area that will be under the gun for sizzling temperatures. The mercury is forecast to soar into the mid 90s in Atlanta, about five degrees over the norm for this time of the year. This heat is forecast to expand up the busy Interstate 95 corridor, encompassing some of the most populated cities of the East Coast.

For instance, New York City is expecting the mercury to hit the low 90s, translating to nearly 10 degrees over the seasonal average for the holiday. It will be a similar situation in Washington, D.C. with a forecast high of 95 degrees on Thursday.

While the middle of the country will see temperatures that land around average, humidity levels will push the real feel readings to potentially dangerous levels in the southern Plains. Some communities will see these real feel readings eclipse the century mark during the peak afternoon heating hours.

A second zone of extreme heat will set up over the western U.S. Forecasters warn that a deviation of just a few degrees can spell trouble for vulnerable populations when it comes to heat. This is the heat wave that weather experts are the most concerned about heading into the new week. The worst of the heat will center on the Central Valley of California and into the Great Basin.

Temperatures are likely to rise 10 to 15 degrees over the historical average on the holiday for cities such as Sacramento and Fresno. It will also be exceptionally hot in Salt Lake City with a forecast high of about 90 degrees under sunny skies.

Local officials are warning those in the West to be aware of the risk of wildfires. This is the time of the year when barbecue grills and campfires become dangerous when paired with the dry brush. Be sure to take note if fireworks or campfires are banned in your area due to the heat and dry conditions.