Storms may disrupt July Fourth celebrations in central, eastern US

June 29,2016; 8:03AM,EDT

 

 

Thunderstorms may disrupt July Fourth activities in parts of the central and eastern United States.
While daily afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon for early July, storms may pack a punch in parts of the Plains, Midwestern, Southeastern and mid-Atlantic states on Independence Day.
Exactly which individual communities stand the best chance of getting hit hard by a big storm cannot be determined with reasonable certainty this far in advance.
However, the area of greatest concern for stormy weather on the Fourth of July will extend from Missouri to Virginia with the potential for showers and thunderstorms at any time and perhaps multiple times during the day and evening hours, according to AccuWeather Lead Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker.

"While most of the storms will not be severe, the strongest storms will have the potential to bring isolated wind gusts, torrential downpours, frequent lightning and perhaps some hail," Walker said.
The storms will move eastward in the swath from the central Plains to part of the mid-Atlantic coast and could bring enough rain in a few communities to cause flash flooding.
"There is the potential for 2-4 inches of rain to fall where the storms repeat," Walker said.
A small number of the strongest storms could down tree limbs and result in sporadic power outages.
It could rain often enough in this swath to rain out barbeques, disrupt 5k runs and delay fireworks.
Some of the storms will occur not only during the afternoon and early evening hours but also when fireworks and celebrations will be at their peak. Details on the timing of the storms may not be possible until that day, due to the particular weather pattern.
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The storms are forecast to erupt along a west to east temperature and humidity boundary with cool, dry air to the north and hot, humid air to the south. Meanwhile, high above the ground, a fast river of air, known as the jet stream, will be nearby and could add the extra ingredients to produce severe weather. Because of this, more than one storm can occur on the holiday.
South of the designated unsettled corridor, the storms will be much more spotty and will likely take up only an hour or two of the day, with a few exceptions.
People spending time outdoors are encouraged to keep an eye on the sky and periodically check AccuWeather MinuteCast® and look for severe weather bulletins through the holiday weekend. At the first rumble of thunder, get off the lake or beach and move indoors to eliminate the chance of being struck by lightning.