Will it rain on the Fourth of July? 'Plans might need to be changed,' a meteorologist says

Fourth of July activities will likely be affected by thunderstorms on Thursday, but weather forecasters still have hope that the expected storms will be of a short duration and clear out before fireworks in the evening.

“We’re expecting scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and into the evening,” said Andrew Whitmyer, a staff meteorologist at The Tribune's newsgathering partner, WNDU-TV. “The hope is that it’s a two- or three-hour event rather than four to six hours.”

Regardless, Whitmyer said, it would be a safe bet to have an umbrella or rain gear available for later in the afternoon and that cookouts should be planned accordingly.

Fair week underway:Everything you need to know about the St. Joseph County 4-H Fair

Rachel Cobb, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Syracuse, Ind., said weather models are currently “all over the place” and it would be best to keep checking the forecast as the holiday approaches.

Currently, however, showers and thunderstorms are expected on Thursday with chances increasing in the late afternoon, she said. “Bring an umbrella and be flexible,” she said. “Plans might need to be changed.”

Though there’s always a chance for storms to develop lightning and even pea-sized hail, there are no severe weather threats coming our way through the weekend, the meteorologists said. In fact, Whitmyer and Cobb believe weather should be nearly ideal by Saturday.

“Wednesday is going to feel like it did on Saturday with extremely muggy air, before it clears out on Friday night,” Whitmyer said.

Forecasts call for highs of about 85 on Wednesday, 81 on Thursday and 83 on Friday with chances of thunderstorms throughout the period. And except for a moderate swim risk on Wednesday, Lake Michigan beach forecasts also look favorable through the weekend ― though visitors should pay attention to lightning.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.