4TH OF JULY

Smoke will lead to poor air quality at times again Thursday before leaving late Friday

The community is frustrated after the 4th of July celebration at Washington Park left tons of trash to be cleaned up.

For some families, it was their first time going to the fair, but The Poff family has a different story.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

Clusters of scattered storms dive from the northwest almost each day this week

Freedom First Festival at Elmwood Park welcomes Independence Day with a family-fun weekend.

The organizers of Balloons over Rockbridge said they still need last-minute volunteers to help recover balloons afterward.

A peaceful protest is being planned in Downtown Roanoke in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Each day through Independence Day has heat, humidity, and at least some chance for storms

Each day features more of the same - heat, humidity and scattered storms

Virginia State Police released a statement Tuesday that urged drivers to put safety first and even offered some advice for drinking safely over the holiday weekend.

Enjoy the brief break in humidity through Wednesday morning

These two safety departments continue to remind us how we can be safer on the water, especially during the holidays as fun destinations get a bit busier.

High temperatures will range from the low to upper 80s as you're celebrating our nation's birthday

A cool front passes Friday, leading to lower rain chances and humidity levels

Storms Thursday and Friday morning can drop some very heavy rain in spots

A front brings rain, storms and relief from the humidity

Temperatures peak in the 80s and 90s the next three afternoons

Highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s through at least Wednesday

As we transition into the Dog Days of Summer,' the forecast calls for some of the hottest weather weve seen all of 2020. Highs Friday will be in the low to mid 90s for a good chunk of the region, with the exception being parts of the New River Valley and Highlands. This is thanks to a slight breeze out of the north from time to time both Friday and on Independence Day. These start north of 460, with one or two drifting southward during the evening hours. Well keep the daily shot for storms in the forecast Sunday through next week, with afternoon highs around 85-90 and nighttime lows around 65-70.

ROANOKE, Va. – While many fireworks displays have been canceled, there may be a few other things that catch your eye this holiday weekend! The full ‘Buck’ moon rises on the 4th, and it does so in conjunction with a few friends. Penumbral eclipse to occur this weekendThe last thing is something you won’t see. This is called ‘aphelion,' or the farthest point away from the sun in Earth’s annual orbit. Aphelion takes place this 4th of July weekendThis further proves that our seasons on Earth aren’t dictated by our distance from the sun, but rather the angle of the sun.

(Keep in mind that this is not what your car thermometer or bank thermometer reads.) While Thursday will be hot, the heat starts to dial it up a notch by Friday afternoon. What We're Tracking - 4th of July 2020Prior to any storms, it is going to get very hot on the 4th. 4th of July forecast 2020When you factor in the humidity Saturday, it will feel a little hotter at times. Heat on other ambient surfacesLastly, and this is goes without saying for most people, but never leave any living thing in a hot car.

ROANOKE, Va. While many of us practice social distancing in our everyday lives, the heat and humidity will not be doing that. As we head deeper into the afternoon and evening, most any spotty storms will be east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Expect high temperatures for most of the area to be around 85-90 again. Rain coverage - WednesdayThis weak storm system pulls away to the northeast after Wednesday, leading us to drier weather and a subtle rise in temperatures each day. 4th of July forecast - 2020Storm coverage increases each afternoon from Sunday through early next week, as a weak storm system rides up the East Coast.

ROANOKE, Va. Areas like Roanoke, Lynchburg and Southside have only hit 90 five to seven times so far this year. Along with that, humidity and a front nearby comes the chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms. These will slowly fizzle out, as we lose the heat of the day and the storm cools the air around itself. The storm track remains to our south, meaning that anything significant is unlikely. 4th of July forecast - 2020The storm track rises north later in the weekend into early next week, indicating that storm chances will return to the forecast by then.

With very limited amounts of dust around us, air quality will be Good today. Air Quality Forecast - MondayTemperatures and humidity levels will be typical to start the week, with a front to our south. Any time we have the heat and humidity in play, a few spotty storms cannot be ruled out. Upper Air Pattern for the 4th of JulyThat means nothing really special about this years 4th of July forecast. Upper Air Pattern for the 4th of July - zoomed inHowever, most of the 4th looks just fine!

It’s the perfect time to put the red, white and blue out on display.