Independence Day Forecast: Cloudy then Clear

Favorable weather is on tap for this Independence Day. Expect mostly cloudy conditions in the morning, then clouds will give way to mostly sunny skies by the afternoon. Expect highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. 

Weather will be comfortable for Western Washington, not too hot or too cold, great to be outside...enjoying a barbecue or fireworks (safely, of course).

Image found here.

For peak fireworks time (9 PM-12 AM), expect dry & mostly clear conditions. Below is a wind plot from Windy.com showing winds, directions, and gusts (small numbers).

Wind can impact fireworks, but I don't expect much in the way of wind this year. Gusts of 15-20 mph (at most) are what is forecast. The breeze will be slightly stronger by the water.

The biggest weather hazard this Fourth will be very dry conditions across the state, and in turn a high chance of fires starting.

The WRCC Climate Map below shows the state's precipitation over the past 14 days ending July 1st.

Wow. The majority of Washington has received less than 0.05 inches of rain. The most rain in the entire state in the past 2 weeks is a mere 0.23 inches in the North Cascades.

It is safe to say that it is very dry across our state, a hazard going into the Fourth, when many fires are started due to fireworks. Additionally, expect degraded air quality on Sunday night due to the high amount of firework smoke in the air.

Here’s a quick look ahead at the next 5 days. The forecast is from Weather Underground for Federal Way.

Expect some cloud cover each morning, with afternoon sun. Highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s, except in the mid 80s on Tuesday. No rain is in sight. Additionally, temperatures in the mid-upper 80s are expected by next Friday. Stay tuned for more information about these increasing temperatures.

Be sure to practice fire safety and have a safe & happy Fourth!