Where rain could disrupt Fourth of July weekend festivities

While a cold front impacting the East on Thursday will have moved out by Friday, that doesn’t mean clear skies for everyone’s Fourth of July festivities.

There are still plenty of areas where you’ll need to be prepared for the possibility of rain at your outdoor events, fireworks displays, and parades this holiday weekend.

The FOX Forecast Center said another wave of storms is moving across the northern tier, and the Southeast will still be dodging tropical showers. 

Elsewhere, it looks like FOX Weather’s exclusive Risk of Weather Impact (ROWI) will be very low for most Americans, meaning fireworks can go off with a bang.

Northeast and mid-Atlantic

Dry and seasonably warm days are expected through Friday and into the weekend, following the departure of a series of cold fronts. Temperatures will generally be in the 80s. 

The FOX Forecast Center said no weather-related impacts are anticipated for most of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, which are under a zero ROWI.

Southeast

A gradual increase from low to medium ROWI is expected across parts of the Southeast. The area to watch in the region still has the potential to develop into a tropical system. 

On Friday, most showers will be concentrated over Florida, with some moisture possibly extending into the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast. Outside of Florida, much of the Southeast should remain mostly dry.

Northern Plains and Upper Midwest

The FOX Forecast Center said the northern Plains and Upper Midwest will be the hotspot for potential Fourth of July disruptions. A series of disturbances will track across those regions, bringing the threat of storms, some of which could be severe, by Friday evening. 

States like Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Nebraska could experience a high ROWI. It won’t be a total washout, but localized impacts are possible, the FOX Forecast Center noted.

Rest of the country

Calm conditions will dominate the rest of the country. 

The entire West is clear of significant weather, and while the Southwest and southern Plains may see isolated pop-up showers, they’re expected to be brief and minor. 

The ROWI remains low to zero across the board, the FOX Forecast Center added.