July 4 festivities threatened as severe storms take aim at Northeast, Mid-Atlantic through holiday weekend
Severe thunderstorms are expected to erupt across parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on July 4. While they won't be enough to break the historic heat wave, they could disrupt nighttime fireworks celebrations with damaging wind gusts and heavy rain.
PHILADELPHIA — Severe thunderstorms are expected to erupt across parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through the July 4 holiday weekend. While they won't be enough to break the historic heat wave baking the region, they could disrupt nighttime fireworks celebrations with damaging wind gusts and heavy rain.
Storms could also delay travelers at major East Coast airports and create brief periods of difficult driving for holiday road-trippers.
Sweltering temperatures across the region approaching and exceeding 100 degrees, combined with high humidity will fuel thunderstorm development Friday.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Level 2 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms across a corridor from southern Michigan to western Massachusetts and the New Jersey shore.
This includes the Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City metro areas. Damaging wind gusts are expected to be the main hazard.
On July 4 itself, the thunderstorm threat will redevelop along the Northeast coast.
HOLIDAY FORECAST: DANGEROUS HEAT, POP-UP STORMS TARGET AMERICA 250 CELEBRATIONS FROM COAST TO COAST
A Level 2 threat from New York City through Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, storms could produce damaging downbursts — concentrated bursts of straight-line winds in excess of 60 mph — Saturday evening, potentially jeopardizing America 250 fireworks shows.
Meanwhile, the ridge of high pressure responsible for the oppressive heat dome will begin shifting south Saturday, bringing the most intense heat to the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas.
As the ridge shifts south Saturday, it will open the door to a more active thunderstorm pattern.
By late Sunday into Monday, forecast models are increasingly indicating a storm system could develop off the New Jersey coast that would enhance rainfall across the Northeast and fully break down the heat dome.
"At this time, the slower-moving system appears likely to bring a swath of heavy rain across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York's Southern Tier," the FOX Forecast Center said.
"Forecast adjustments remain likely, so this system will be monitored closely."
A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk is in place across portions of southern Pennsylvania, the Delmarva, as well as the Philadelphia area.
A widespread 1-2 inches of rain is expected across the region through Wednesday, with pockets of 2-3 inches of rain expected across eastern Pennsylvania and north Jersey.
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