Heat, humidity and maybe even some storms in your Fourth of July weekend forecast

View Fourth of July fireworks from SkyGarten.
Ultra Violet Photography/SkyGarten at Top of the Tower

Pack the sunscreen and the umbrella for your Fourth of July weekend plans – you're going to need them.

Temperatures are expected to quickly climb across Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore before giving way to some humidity that could bring a thunderstorm to your outdoor BBQ or beach hangout, thanks to some clockwise winds moving up from the south.

Friday will be sunny with a high expected near 91 degrees but should be gusty too with winds reaching anywhere between 11 to 17 mph in Philadelphia, according to the National Weather Service

Friday night will very pleasant for any outdoor activities with the low reaching a cool 73 degrees.

Beachgoers should expect a sunny but breezy day Friday, with a high of 80 and winds ranging from 13 to 20 mph at the Jersey Shore. Friday's low will dip to 70. 

The nice weather might not last, though. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are in the weekend's forecast for Saturday, mainly after 2 p.m. in Philadelphia. The mercury should reach 91 degrees, before dropping to 73 at night. 

The scattered storms will hold off at the shore until nighttime, according to the NWS. The high will linger around 81 with a cooler 71 degrees during the evening. 

A "steamy flow" rising from the south could make it feel more like 95 or 100 degrees during the day across the Northeast, according to AccuWeather forecasters.


"A fast-moving storm may allow clearing in part of the Midwest but cause the holiday to be ruined in part of the Northeast," senior AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Anderson said in a Thursday forecast.

There's a slight chance of Sunday being stormy and rainy too before clearing out for some sunshine, according to the NWS. Highs will reach 89 degrees in the Philadelphia area and 82 at the Jersey Shore. 

Even if this weekend is a partial washout, Monday and Independence Day are looking pretty nice. Temperatures are expected to climb into the high 80s and 90s in Philadelphia early next week and at the beaches early next week, with the low coming down to around 70.