Will we be able to enjoy a picnic and fireworks or will the rain wash out our 4th of July fun? The afternoon picnic or barbecue should be safe from the rain but the fireworks are looking iffy. A warm front that currently stretches southward from the Great Lakes will be crossing our area this evening. Ahead of that front we should see mostly overcast skies, possibly a light shower, and a high around 77 degrees.
The chance of rain will be better than even as the front approaches this evening. The bulk of the heavy rain and winds should hold off until 10 p.m. but there's a good chance of rain from about 6 p.m. on.
Showers and thundershowers with heavy rain and gusty winds are likely later tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night. Even with the rain, tomorrow will be warmer than today. Friday will be warmer still, a high in the mid-80s, but the likelihood of rain should diminish.
Now, having heavy rains follow boatloads of fireworks might lead some to believe that the fireworks cause the rain. This is the popular late-19th century concussion theory of rainfall. Throughout history it had been noticed that rainfall often follows a battle. The science of meteorology wasn't too advanced a century ago and Congress allocated money to a patent attorney named Robert Dyrenforth to test the theory during a drought in Texas. Dyrenforth knew nothing about the weather, but he was an enthusiastic exploder of munitions. His experiment didn't cause any rain and the pundits of the day renamed him Dry-Henceforth.
Driftwood sculpture under overcast skies this morning by me on Flickr
