Storms, humid air to retreat southward over eastern US by 4th of July

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

June 30,2017, 2:45:41PM,EDT

 Following a steamy and stormy weekend in the eastern United States, a large part of the Northeast can expect a reduction in humidity levels and rain-free conditions by July 4.

Humidity levels will remain high in the Deep South and will climb farther north from the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic to the Great Lakes and New England this weekend.
Where the sun is out for a few hours, temperatures will reach well into the 80s and will top 90 F from parts of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic, southward to the Gulf coast through Independence Day.

The steamy air has already been up to its summertime tricks by producing locally heavy, drenching thunderstorms in the South.
Each day through Tuesday will bring a mosaic of thunderstorms in the South. Most of these storms will occur between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. each day.
For people heading to the Atlantic beaches, most of the time will be free of rain. The most likely time for downpours at the Atlantic beaches will be from the overnight hours to first thing in the morning.
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Across the northern tier, a short series of storm systems will fuel locally gusty and drenching storms through Sunday night.
Following the threat of locally severe thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to New England into Friday night, thunderstorms may pack a punch from the Appalachians to coastal areas of the Northeast from Saturday to Saturday night.

"Through Saturday night, the greatest threat from the storms will be for localized damaging winds and perhaps flash flooding," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson.
A small number of the strongest storms may bring hail. A couple of isolated tornadoes could also be spawned. However, the overall threat for tornadoes is low.
One last batch of thunderstorms will sweep from the Great Lakes through the Northeast on Sunday and Sunday night. Most likely, this shower activity will be more spotty in nature.
"During Sunday night, Monday and into Independence Day, most places from northern Virginia northward to Canada can expect a noticeable drop in humidity levels," Thompson said.

Early next week, the area from part of central Michigan to northern and eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the Canada border is likely to be free of showers and thunderstorms. This same area will also experience slightly cooler conditions. Highs will range from the middle 70s to the middle 80s with nighttime lows ranging from the middle 50s to the middle 60s.
The weather should cooperate for fireworks displays from Boston to New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., for the evening hours on the Fourth of July.

"The risk of at least spotty thunderstorms will remain from Detroit and Cleveland to Pittsburgh and Roanoke, Virginia, and on through the Southeastern states on Independence Day," Thompson said. "Humidity levels will begin to creep upward in this area."
There is the risk of storms becoming locally severe on the Fourth of July from parts of the central and southern Plains to the middle Mississippi and Ohio valleys.