July 3, 2024

4th of July Forecast and a Weekend Warm-up

By Joseph Renalds and Kyra Schlezinger

Hey Huskies,

After a week with temperatures near average, we are going to see a significant warm up that will challenge some daily high temperature records. 

First off, what can we expect for the July 4th holiday? The bulk of the heat does not arrive until this weekend, but high temperatures will approach 80 degrees in the Seattle area tomorrow with clear skies. So make sure to drink plenty of water, double check the backseat of your cars, and be aware of heat related illness if you are going to be outside. There will also be increased fire danger in the region as temperatures rise and the ground dries out so take precautions if you plan to have a campfire and/or set off fireworks. 

After July 4 is when we really start to warm up. Ridging will strengthen over the west coast and will bring Seattle’s temperatures into the 90s on Sunday and Monday. It will be even warmer to our south and east with temperatures getting into the triple digits. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for the region as a result.

While the warmest days will be early in the week, the rest of the week will continue to be above average with temperatures in the mid and upper 80s. There is currently no sign of any rain in the near future which matches up with this being our driest time of the year.

Since tomorrow is the 4th of July and many of you may not be in Seattle to celebrate, let’s take a look at what the weather will look like in other parts of the country. The warmest temperatures will likely be in the desert southwest, with a high of 116 degrees predicted in Phoenix, while the coolest temperatures will be over the northern great plains and the northern Midwest, with a high of only 78 in Minneapolis. Almost all of the US east of the Rockies has at least some chance for thunderstorm activity, with a marginal chance of severe weather predicted for a swath of the central and eastern United States (including Washington, DC where Kyra is blogging from right now!), with hotspots of higher risk in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

The most notable headline in weather news comes from the Caribbean, where Hurricane Beryl has intensified and has become the strongest hurricane to ever occur in June, as well as the earliest reported category 5 hurricane on record. It broke the record set by Hurricane Emily in 2005 by about 2 weeks. Beryl and Emily are the only category 5 hurricanes to occur in July. It initially made landfall on Monday, causing considerable damage in Grenada. It is currently making its second landfall in Jamaica, before moving to the Cayman Islands tomorrow morning and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico Friday morning.

Beryl’s unusual strength is a result of anomalously high sea surface temperatures. Hurricanes require warm ocean water to fuel their development. Usually, the Atlantic needs to spend all summer absorbing the sun’s rays to get warm enough to power a major hurricane (category 3 and above), with a majority of major hurricanes occurring between August and October. Beryl is only the start to what is predicted to be a quite active hurricane season, as only one of the 8-13 hurricanes and 4-7 major hurricanes predicted by the National Hurricane Center back in May.

Have a great 4th of July huskies, and stay cool this weekend!