July 4th forecast map: Will you have clear skies for fireworks?
'Some parts of the United States are going to have to deal with Mother Nature's fireworks, and the manmade ones may get a little bit of a washout,' said Chief Meteorologist Brian James with the Nexstar Weather Center.
The central part of the United States and down toward the Southeast have the greatest chance of rain and thunderstorms, according to James.
The Dakotas, western parts of Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas all have suboptimal forecasts for Independence Day.
Heat will also be a factor for a number of cities with highs expected to reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago, 93 in Louisville, 104 in Phoenix and 102 in Las Vegas.
So where are clear skies in the forecast? Green in the map below indicates areas with the best forecast for fireworks viewing:
With the Fourth of July falling on a Friday, experts at auto club AAA are expecting a record-setting 72.2 million Americans to take a domestic trip over the long weekend, packing the nation's highways, rails and airports.
As for road trips, AAA is forecasting that a record 61.6 million people will travel by car – a 2.2% increase, or 1.3 million additional travelers, over last year.
According to transportation data provider Inrix, July 2 and July 6 are expected to be the busiest driving days.
AAA projects that the Fourth of July week will also see a record 5.84 million air travelers over the Independence Day week, a 1.4% jump from last year's record of 5.76 million.
The Transportation Security Administration says it is prepared for the holiday rush at the nation's airports, but warns air travelers that they should expect the busiest day to be Sunday, July 6, when passenger volume is forecast to reach 2.9 million.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Ideal conditions for the Fourth of July, and, finally, the first completely dry weekend since March
Quick look Friday You can't ask for a better Fourth of July weather-wise. Thursday's storms brought dry air into the region with a light northwesterly flow and sinking high pressure. Bright blue skies with highs in the low 80s, can't go wrong with that. Advertisement As far as the night goes, the sky will remain mostly clear but might lean a touch on the cool side with lows slipping into the upper 50s. For folks going to catch the fireworks, in Boston or elsewhere, you might want to bring a long-sleeve shirt or light sweater. The setup — dry air, sunny skies, calm wind on 'three-peat' The setup for Friday is rather simple — healthy high pressure funneling across the entire region. Sure, there may be a few lingering showers way up in Presque Isle, Maine, but it'll be nothing but sunshine and good times from Central Maine and south through the Long Island Sound. High pressure will take over the region on Friday, setting up mostly sunny skies across much of New England. Boston Globe The holiday begins with morning temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s, slowly climbing to the low 80s by the afternoon. The air will feel light and crisp as dew points drop to the low to mid-50s. Advertisement Highs on Friday will be in the low to mid-80s across Southern New England with the mid to upper 70s farther north. Boston Globe Fireworks Forecast The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on Friday night has a clue about the weather in the title: spectacular. Expect mostly clear to completely clear skies with light winds. Temperatures will be in the low 70s during the fireworks. If you're headed somewhere else before calling it a night, the 60s might come into play. Weekend breakdown — sunny, dry, building heat The Fourth of July celebration continues into the weekend, with Saturday setting up to be a great day. There will likely be a few more clouds with an uptick in moisture from a southwest flow. But skies will remain partly sunny as a cool start to the morning builds to an afternoon full of 80-degree or warmer readings, thanks to the July sunshine. Dew points will also stay comfortable for a great day. Temperatures across New England on Saturday. Boston Globe Temperatures across Southern New England on Saturday. Boston Globe Sunday will see a bit more variety in the sky and air. It'll stay dry across the region, but the pocket of high pressure will be positioned well to our south, pumping more humidity into the region and sending dew points into the 60s. With more moisture in the air, the sunlight from partly sunny skies will push temperatures into the 90s across much of Southern New England. Highs on Sunday in New England will break 90 degrees for some. Boston Globe Highs across Southern New England on Sunday. Boston Globe Friday through Sunday breakdown Greater Boston: Loads of sunshine for the three days. Building heat starting with highs in the low 80s on Friday, then breaking 90 on Sunday. Cool at night Friday with lows in the 50s, but dew points start to creep back up on Sunday, keeping temperatures elevated. Southeastern Mass.: Sunny, partly sunny, then sunny again for the next three days. Temperatures will reach the upper 70s and low 80s on Friday, then the low 80s on Saturday, and possibly the mid to upper 80s on Sunday. The farther inland you live, the warmer it'll be Sunday. Advertisement Central/Western Mass.: Mostly sunny to completely sunny over the next three days. Some clouds on Saturday, but few and far between. Worcester to Springfield will see three-day highs of 80-83, 84-88, and then 92-96 degrees on Sunday. The Berkshires will run about 5 to 7 degrees cooler, with temperatures in the mid-70s on Friday. Cape Cod and Islands: Sunshine on Friday, some clouds Saturday, more sun on Sunday. Highs will reach the upper 70s on Friday and finally break the low 80s on Sunday. A great weekend to be down the Cape. Rhode Island: A gorgeous stretch of weather. Partly to mostly sunny skies each of the next three days. Highs will reach the upper 70s and low 80s on Friday and slowly build to the upper 80s and low 90s for the daily high on Sunday. New Hampshire: Sunshine and high vibes from Friday to Sunday. Temperatures will reach the mid- to upper 70s on Friday. Saturday sees a few spots breaking 80 degrees, especially along the southeastern region. Some clouds will pop up, but the day will stay dry. And then by Sunday, Highs will break 90 degrees under mostly sunny skies and rising dew points. Vermont/Maine: Vermont sees partly to mostly sunny skies for the next three days. Highs will build from the mid-70s on Friday to the low 90s on Sunday. Maine will see some cloudy skies north of Augusta and Bangor on Friday, but sunshine everywhere Saturday and Sunday. Highs build across the Pine Tree state from the low and mid-70s on Friday to the upper 80s and some 90s on Sunday. Advertisement for our , which will arrive straight into your inbox bright and early each weekday morning. The weather across Boston for the next seven days. Boston Globe Ken Mahan can be reached at
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A tropical storm is brewing just in time to ruin July 4th weekend
Repeated rounds of stormy weather loitering off the Southeast coast could do more than just dampen fireworks celebrations in Florida this weekend – there's a good chance it becomes hurricane season's next named storm. As of Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center gives this system a 60% chance of forming into a tropical depression or tropical storm this weekend or early next week. If this cluster strengthens into a tropical storm, it would earn the next name on the Atlantic season's list: Chantal. Regardless of whether this system gets a name, it's already delivering drenching rain, soaking the soil and raising the flood risk in Florida. The flood threat is especially concerning with millions of revelers set to enjoy outdoor parties and fireworks displays through the Independence Day weekend. Portions of Florida and coastal Georgia could see flash flooding from this system through Friday, the Weather Prediction Center cautions. The threat shifts to the Carolina coast Saturday into Sunday as the storms could organize and move closer to land. All told, rounds of storms could drop over 3 inches of rain on parts of the Carolina coast, while some areas in Florida could see up to 6 inches of rain by the end of the holiday weekend. It doesn't take a named tropical storm to cause trouble, particularly on a holiday weekend when roads and beaches could be packed. Even without a well-defined center – which it needs to be considered a tropical system – this large area of stormy weather will drag rich tropical moisture across the coastal Southeast, leading to localized downpours, dreary beach days, a risk of dangerous rip currents and rough seas. If it's named, Chantal would be the third named storm of the season, but the first to pose an impactful flood threat to the United States just given its location. The first two systems, Andrea and Barry, were weak and short-lived tropical storms. A third named storm at this time of year would not be unusual. Storms are more likely to form in the warm, shallow waters closer to land in July and, like the current system, spring up from fronts stalled out over juicy tropical air. Outside of the Southeast, most of the country will see ideal conditions for July 4th weekend, particularly in the Northeast and West, where calm, mostly clear skies are expected from Friday on. The Southeast is likely to dry out by Tuesday. The one exception: parts of the Plains and Upper Midwest, could see some strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail through the weekend.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Fourth of July travel heats up as people get away for holiday weekend
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