Published: July 2,2015
Parts of the Pacific Northwest will sizzle this Fourth of July weekend while others will be dodging Mother Nature's fireworks.
The overall pattern that took hold over last weekend – an upper-level ridge of high pressure in the West, and a southward dip in the jet stream in the East – is expected to remain in place through the holiday weekend.
This means much of the Northwest will remain firecracker hot, while parts of the central, eastern and southwestern U.S. will find scattered showers and thunderstorms that may dampen holiday festivities at times. Scattered severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rain are likely as well.
(MORE: Western Heat Wave)
Below you will find the forecast details for each day.
Friday's Forecast
Friday's Forecast
A stationary front will stay draped from Virginia and the Carolinas into the Tennessee Valley, Plains and southern Rockies Front Range. Meanwhile, disturbances in the upper atmosphere will rotate through these same general areas.
A good chance for showers and thunderstorms exists along and near this frontal boundary. Isolated thunderstorms should also develop in parts of the Desert Southwest and the Sierra.
Otherwise, mainly dry weather is expected over most of the Northeast, southern Great Lakes, Upper Midwest, and northern Plains. The exception will be locations near the Canadian border in the Upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes, where a few showers or storms are possible.
(FORECAST: New York | Chicago | Atlanta | Seattle)
Highs and lows will be close to average for this time of year, except in the Northwest where the abnormally hot conditions will persist.
Numerous daily record highs are in jeopardy throughout the holiday weekend in the Pacific Northwest inland from the coast, Great Basin, and valley locations of the northern Rockies, where highs in the 90s and 100s will dominate.
East of the Rockies, high temperatures will be generally in the 80s and 90s in much of the South. The Midwest and Northeast will see upper 70s and low 80s.
(MAPS: This Week's Forecast)
Potential Wet Travel:
- Interstate 95 near Washington, D.C. to Miami, Florida
- Interstate 75 from Cincinnati into Georgia
- Interstate 40 from North Carolina to Arizona
Fourth of July Forecast (Saturday)
Fourth of July Forecast
High pressure over the West will weaken a bit and become contaminated with mid-level moisture.
While parts of the East and South will see the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms once again, it does not appear to be a washout, with most areas seeing storms of the hit and miss variety. Parts of the Plains will also see a few thunderstorms, and scattered thunderstorm coverage in the central and southern Rockies, Desert Southwest and Great Basin should be greater than Friday.
There is some uncertainty with the forecast for the I-95 corridor in the Northeast as some models are now showing rain moving through the region during the day.
(FORECAST: Boston | Washington, D.C. | St. Louis | L.A.)
The good news is that the coverage of storms Saturday night will decrease in many areas with the loss of daytime heating.
The greatest chance of wet weather impacting evening firework displays will be found in a band from parts of the Mid-Atlantic states, southern Appalachians into the Mid-South region, southern Plains and southern Rockies.
The Northeast, Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi Valley and Northwest will enjoy the best chance of having fireworks shows go off without a weather interruption, assuming it is not too dry in spots in the West for firework celebrations.
(MORE: Lightning Safety Tips)
The heat will continue in most of the Northwest and northern Rockies with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average. Highs will once again climb into the 90s and 100s, with 60s and 70s along the immediate coast providing a good heat getaway idea.
Highs in the Midwest and Northeast will remain quite comfortable for early July, with 70s and 80s. Typical, muggy 90s will bake much of the Gulf Coast and southern Plains.
Potential Travel T-Storms:
- Interstate 81 from Pennsylvania to Tennessee
- Interstate 40 from North Carolina to Arizona
- Interstate 25 from Wyoming to New Mexico
Sunday's Forecast
Sunday's Forecast
On Sunday, a cold front will slide into the northern Plains, while a stationary front and several upper-level disturbances track through parts of the East and South.
As a result, showers and thunderstorms remain a good bet from Virginia and the Carolinas to the Deep South, Tennessee Valley and Ozarks. Thunderstorms, possibly severe, will develop ahead of the approaching cold front in the Dakotas, Minnesota and western Nebraska. Scattered thunderstorms will also flare up with the afternoon's heat in the Rockies, Desert Southwest, Great Basin and Sierra.
(FORECAST: Pittsburgh | Minneapolis | Dallas | Phoenix)
Highs will again soar into the 90s and 100s in the interior Northwest and northern Rockies. The immediate West Coast will still be an escape from the worst of the heat.
(MAPS: 10-Day Temperature Forecast)
Locations from the Upper Midwest to the Middle Atlantic Coast will see temperatures typical for this time of year, with highs mainly in the 80s. Any 90s should be confined to the Deep South and central/southern Plains.
Potential Travel T-Storms:
- Interstate 20 from South Carolina to Mississippi
- Interstate 65 Kentucky to Alabama
- Interstate 94 in northwest Minnesota, North Dakota
- Interstate 10 in New Mexico, Arizona and southeast California
MORE: Fourth of July Fireworks (PHOTOS)
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