4th of July 2011 Forecast

We've dodged the heat bullet a bit this weekend...not that yesterday wasn't warm (89 is warm) but humidity was tolerable yesterday.   While today's humidity is higher temperatures probably don't cross that 90 degree mark this afternoon thanks to the presence of showers and storms this morning and more expected this afternoon/evening.  (Update, 5 PM, the official high at 5 PM was 90 degrees...just enough sun for the 90 degree mark to finally win out)   However, with the weak front responsible for today's thunder fizzling as it crosses the region we'll see temperatures finally cross the 90 degree mark...and probably hang out at or just above 90 for several days this week.   I talked about the potential of a cheap (90 degrees but not much higher) heat wave...it may be 'delayed but not denied' as things look pretty warm this week.

Any scattered thunderstorm threat that does materialize over the next couple of hours will move east and then fizzle after sunset, leaving a partly cloudy sky locally.   Temperatures tonight will drop into the 60's north/west,  low 70's in Philadelphia and around 70 south and east of town.   Humidity levels will be pretty high most of the night, especially in Philly and south/east as the weak front doesn't move through until later.

The 4th looks very warm -- highs around or just above 90 away from the Shore with a healthy dose of sunshine.   Humidity levels come down a bit but it will be a warm one locally.   The fizzled front could provide enough of a spark to trigger an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon but odds are leaning against much, if any activity.   The Shore should hit the mid 80's as the sea breeze doesn't kick in until the afternoon.

Week Ahead:    The next substantive thunderstorm threat looks to be Thursday as another weak cool front tries to make inroads across the region.   The front lingers into Friday and, like this current front, could fizzle out just offshore.   Temperatures could reach or surpass 90 through Thursday before getting knocked back into the mid and upper 80's for the end of the week.   Humidity levels will nudge higher on Wednesday in advance of the Thursday/Friday thunder threat, making for a humid Thursday in the Delaware Valley.