Less humid air to spill across northeastern US for Fourth of July

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

July 2,2017, 3:47:22PM,EDT

 

Comfortable, rain-free conditions will highlight Independence Day for the majority of the northeastern United States, but there may be some trouble spots.

The high humidity that played a part in triggering severe weather on Saturday will be reduced early this week with the most comfortable air awaiting on Tuesday.
Prior to the substantial push of less humid air, spotty but locally heavy and gusty thunderstorms can threaten any pre-Fourth of July festivities across the central Appalachians on Sunday afternoon and from Massachusetts to Ohio on Monday.
By Tuesday, the weather will be perfect for barbecues, parades and other outdoor plans from Michigan to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and much of New England. Isolated showers may throw a brief wrench in outdoor plans in parts of Maine.

Highs topping out in the middle to upper 70s and lower 80s F will be common across interior areas. Temperatures will climb into the lower and middle 80s along the I-95 corridor from Boston to New York City.
"The typically cooler locations of the Northeast will see temperatures drop to near or below 50 F on Tuesday night, so those heading out to watch firework displays will want to pack a light jacket or long-sleeved shirt," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
Mainly clear skies will give revelers an uninhibited view of the colorful fireworks displays in Boston and New York City.
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The more typical July heat and humidity will remain limited to the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, where sticky conditions and highs around 90 degrees Fahrenheit will push AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures toward the century mark.
In a few of these communities, thunderstorms may threaten to foul cookouts and firework displays.
Southern New Jersey and the Delmarva Peninsula to the central Appalachians will lie within the corridor of lingering sticky air ripe for the development of late-day thunderstorms.

The overall nature of the thunderstorms will be spotty. However, thunderstorms that pop up could threaten anyone outdoors with frequent lightning, sudden gusty winds and torrential downpours.
Fireworks displays will be in jeopardy or dimmed where thunderstorms and their associated clouds linger beyond sunset. This includes in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and perhaps Philadelphia.
The threat for weather-related disruptions will increase the farther south you go away from the Mason-Dixon Line.
After the holiday, areas that felt relief from the muggy air will experience an uptick in humidity and downpours at late week, with the potential for a renewed threat of severe weather and flooding.

Susan Z Jones ·

Flodding in Central NY saturday July 1,2017 brought over 3 to 4 inches of rain in 8 hours. Utica NY..Whitesboro NY flooding washed out roads..This is in Utica NY..

Like · Reply · 12 hrs · Edited

Michael PannoniThis is the East Coast, when I hear someone say "The 95" like at 0:52, I think of the highway in Nevada connecting Reno/Tahoe and Vegas!

Keep in mind that the weather (outside of the temperatures/humidity) this time of year often looks far worse on paper than in reality. Yesterday, despite having "showers and thunderstorms likely", while that did happen where I lived for about 45 minutes, the rest of the day (especially for the last several hours before sunset) featured a good deal of sun. T-Storms are often natural air conditioners this time of year, provided that they aren't severe and don't stall, and generally after one hits, it usually stabilizes the atmosphere for the rest of the day. Just watch out for darkening towering cumulus build-ups this time of year.