This Fourth of July brings a monumental celebration as Americans mark not just Independence Day, but the nation's historic 250th anniversary.
The fireworks, parades, barbecues, and commemorations will feel extra special this year for millions from coast to coast, leaving everyone counting on the weather to cooperate for the annual festivities.
As the big day approaches, holiday forecasts will vary depending on your location.
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking who could see potentially record-setting warmth for Independence Day, who will be dodging rain and who could face travel impacts for America's 250th birthday.
Most of this week will feature extreme warmth, leaving many to wonder if the heat will spoil Fourth of July plans.
Right now, it is becoming clear that there will be little relief come Saturday, the FOX Forecast Center said.
While the record-breaking temperatures may take a small step back, the massive scope of the heat dome will remain locked in as over 230 million Americans could feel the impacts leading into the holiday.
The heat dome fueling the extreme temperatures acts like a giant lid on the atmosphere, trapping hot air on the ground, while underneath this hot airmass, humid air will be brought in from the Gulf of America.
For perspective, more than 194 million Americans are expected to experience temperatures above 90 degrees this Fourth of July, with over 120 million facing a heat index above 100 degrees.
Additionally, at least 30 potential record highs linger for cities such as Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, this will likely be the hottest 4th of July for parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in over a decade.
That said, even areas outside the Eastern Seaboard will still be slightly above average come this 4th of July.
The Midwest, Plains and Deep South will all face the 90s, though this is more typical for these regions for this time of the year.
Classic summertime pop-up showers could potentially put a hold on beach trips, barbecues and other outdoor activities this Fourth of July.
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A change will start to take place heading into the weekend. As the large heat dome will not be as intense, in turn, it will allow for more storms to move into areas that have not seen rain all week.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, storms could be very scattered, but they may return to notable America 250 cities such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
On a wide scale, anywhere from the Midwest to the Northeast to the Southeast could all see storms. They will be very difficult to track when it comes to monitoring storms impacting outdoor events.
Across the West Coast, the holiday is shaping up to be dry and far less intense than the extreme heat gripping the rest of the country.
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In fact, major cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles will be sitting in the 60s and 70s, respectively.
That said, the dry conditions are also fueling fire danger that could impact the holiday.
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For Independence Day itself, travel impacts will be possible if any of the storms bubble up over major airport hubs.
These impacts would last into Sunday, making for slick roads for those coming back home.
According to AAA, 85% of travel will be auto with 8% accounting for air travel.
This year nearly 72.2 million Americans are set to hit the road and skies, which is slightly above the 71.8 million recorded last year, and well up from the pandemic low in 2020 of 49.6 million.
Stick with FOX Weather for all updates on the holiday forecast so you can plan accordingly.
The post Holiday forecast: Extreme heat, pop-up thunderstorms target America 250 festivities from coast to coast appeared first on Fox Weather
