Severe storms, flash flooding to bring July Fourth holiday travel hassles
Locally severe thunderstorms and flash flooding are set to disrupt travel and holiday plans across the East, central U.S., and parts of the Southwest in the days leading up to July 4.
Severe thunderstorms slammed the Northeast with heavy rain on the first day of July, leading to major floods across multiple states.
It's already been a busy year for severe weather, and there will be no let-up with severe thunderstorms and localized flash flooding that can bring dangers and travel disruptions in the days leading up to the Independence Day holiday in the United States, AccuWeather meteorologists advise.
While there were only a few dozen severe weather reports scattered over the lower 48 states Monday, there was a high concentration in the mid-Atlantic, along with flash flooding. Part of this same area faced identical hazards on Tuesday, with a wider spread of wind reports across the mid-Atlantic and instances of flash flooding once again across the region.
With much of the Interstate 81 and 95 corridors in the thick of the storms Tuesday, airline delays mounted in the afternoon and evening as storms erupted and approached the major hubs from Boston and New York City to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte. Across the nation a total of 1,608 flights were canceled.
Into Wednesday evening, the same mechanism that produced severe weather on Tuesday will linger along the southern Atlantic coast.
Multiple heavy-duty thunderstorms packing torrential downpours and gusty winds can still occur from southern New Jersey to northern Florida. Localized flash flooding is likely, including along portions of the busy I-95 corridor.
Farther west, a new round of severe weather is forecast to erupt over the Upper Midwest into Wednesday night. The activity will develop as a cool front with lower humidity begins to move southeastward from south-central Canada.
The greatest risk of severe thunderstorms will extend from eastern and central Minnesota and northeastern Iowa to northern Michigan and part of central Ontario. Because the air will be somewhat drier in this region, compared to the steamy Atlantic Seaboard, the greatest threats from the storms around the Great Lakes will be from moderate hail and strong wind gusts.
Severe weather will likely revisit the Northeast Thursday.
Since humidity levels will be somewhat lower in the region, when compared to Monday and Tuesday, there will be less risk of flash flooding. Similar to the risk from the Great Lakes Wednesday, the same front can set off storms packing moderate hail and strong wind gusts capable of breaking tree limbs, toss loose items around in the neighborhoods and lead to localized power outages.
The risk of severe weather Thursday afternoon and evening will extend into parts of southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada.
Once again, the atmosphere will also reload farther to the west Friday.
The most likely corridor of severe weather on July Fourth would extend from northern Kansas to the eastern part of the Dakotas, much of Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Some severe storms will extend into southeastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.
The storms Friday will pack a significant risk of damaging hail, wind gusts and flash flooding, as well as isolated tornadoes.
Another trouble spot for thunderstorms will exist over the interior Southwest as the week progresses, as the North American monsoon ramps up.
The annual flip of the winds from the west to the south brings more humid, sometimes tropical air into the Southwest. Once it begins, the moisture boost leads to locally gusty, drenching thunderstorms on a nearly daily basis through most of the summer.
The greatest threats will be sudden dust storms that may precede downpours, as well as localized flash flooding where heavy rain falls. Flash flooding can occur from storms miles away as water rushes down through normally dry streambeds, called arroyos and washes.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
