Maryland Weather: 4th of July heat, muggy, and scattered storms

BALTIMORE -- Expect dry and warm outdoor weather now through Thursday morning. Heat, humidity, & storms return to the forecast for our 4th of July afternoon.

Temperatures on this Wednesday afternoon have been seasonably warm with tolerable levels of humidity and sunshine. We will continue with this nice weather straight through the evening & overnight hours. Traveling or any other outdoor activity looks fantastic with warm, dry, and comfortable weather.

July 4th will be very hot and muggy. Temperatures will top out in the middle 90s with heat index values running between 100-103 degrees. The day will start with sunshine, but gusty thunderstorms will develop during the afternoon hours.

The best chance for scattered storms on the 4th will be from 2 PM and 8 PM. During this time any thunderstorm that does develop will be capable of torrential downpours, intense lightning, and strong gusty winds. Storms will form in clusters, so not everywhere gets wet. After 8 PM, storms should move out of the area with nothing more than a leftover shower. Isolated severe storms are possible Thursday afternoon, so please have a way to get warnings if you're out and about. Temperatures look muggy and warm for fireworks in the middle 80s.

Friday will be another hot and muggy day with highs in the middle 90s. Sunshine will be around through mid-afternoon, but storms will likely develop late afternoon and into the evening, especially in our western zones. Feels like temperatures will peak at their highest values on Friday around 105 degrees.

The upcoming holiday weekend will be hot, but the best chance for storms and humidity will be on Saturday, especially during the afternoon & evening hours. Expect highs in the lower to middle 90s. Saturday will be a tough day of heat with feels like temperatures in the 100s. Best chance of scattered strong to severe storms would be during the afternoon & evening hours. Any storm could be severe with damaging winds and torrential downpours.

The humidity falls throughout the day Sunday with plenty of sunshine, dry weather, and highs in the lower 90s. Monday should be sunny and hot as well with highs in the lower to middle 90s.

Heat, humidity, and more thunderstorms return to the forecast Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.