ROANOKE, VA – As we prepare to celebrate our country’s independence, many will be making plans at the pool, at barbecues or to see fireworks. However, the weather may have other plans.
Temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and humidity, combined with a passing cold front will lead to showers and storms popping up throughout the afternoon and evening. These will be typical summer storms, but could easily disrupt outdoor plans and fireworks shows.
Storms won’t be the only weather phenomenon that could disrupt fireworks. The continued statewide drought has many canceling firework displays, or finding alternative options. Given how dry we’ve been, a single spark from a firework could cause wildfires.
Rain and thunderstorms will be likely each afternoon for the next 4-5 days as an unsettled weather pattern takes hold. The heat sticks around for the foreseeable future, with temperatures in the 90s throughout the weekend.
Hurricane Beryl is still churning in the Caribbean. Although Beryl weakened to a category four storm, it is still extremely powerful and will be dangerous for anyone within its path. I’m expecting a northward turn into the Texas Gulf Coast, and models are becoming more and more confident that will happen. Beryl will likely be a category one or a tropical storm when that happens, but could still pose a significant flash flood and wind risk for that area. Beryl will not impact us here.