Fourth of July fireworks are set to light up the night sky and while some parts of the U.S. will have spectacular weather and clear views, others will be battling a few storms.
Forecasters say viewing conditions will be the best on Friday for major Northeast cities, where some of the largest displays in the country kick-off, and along the West Coast.
New York City — the home to the 49th annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks show and a display at the Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk — along with areas from Boston to the nation’s capital are likely to be rain-free. Fortunately for the Big Apple, humidity levels are likely to be lower than July standards.
“Folks heading to Coney Island, New York, will probably need sunglasses,” AccuWeather forecasters said.
But, that is not the case for a large swath of the central and northern U.S., and parts of the southern U.S.
A stormy Fourth
"Portions of the Midwest, Southeast and interior Southwest stand the most likely chance for some disruptive downpours and potent thunderstorm activity on July 4," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok cautioned.
Thunderstorms are anticipated Friday across New Mexico, west Texas, Colorado and eastern Arizona, and carry flash flooding concerns. Temperatures in the deserts may reach the triple digits yet again. In the warm Pacific Northwest, showers could also extend into the evening hours, and the Plains and interior Southeast will see high temperatures in the 80s and 90s. In the Midwest, thunderstorms will be possible in Chicago, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.
Meteorologists are watching an area of showers and thunderstorms over the Bay of Campeche in Mexico, which could become a tropical cyclone near the Southeast within the next week. Should a tropical depression or storm develop, southeastern beaches may experience rough surf.
"If anything forms, heavy rainfall looks to be the primary impact,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva explained.
Alternatively, in the days leading up to the holiday, the West is expected to be hot and dry. That may result in fireworks restrictions in some places on Friday. From the Great Lakes to the Northeast, typical summer weather is forecast. AccuWeather says humid conditions and wet weather will affect New Mexico, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Travel impacts
Thunderstorms were already impacting travel from Chicago Monday, and 114 delays had been reported at the Windy City’s O’Hare International Airport, according to the online tracker FlightAware.
A record 72.2 million Americans are projected to travel across the U.S. this Fourth of July, according to AAA. That estimate includes all air, ground and other travel from Saturday through July 6.
An unprecedented 5.84 million travelers are anticipated to take to the skies, marking a 1.4 percent increase over the previous record.
With gas prices the lowest they’ve been since 2021, AAA also said there will be the highest volume of people traveling by car on record. It currently sits at $3.14 a gallon.
Some 61.6 million people will drive to their destination this year, marking a 2.2 percent increase over last year.
“AAA recommends getting routine vehicle maintenance ahead of your trip and packing an emergency kit. Last July 4th week, AAA responded to nearly 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls for issues like dead batteries and flat tires, plus people locking themselves out of their car or running out of gas,” the group warned.
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