July kicked off with a series of gorgeous days complete with sunshine, low humidity, and rain-free skies. Unfortunately, this perfect stretch of weather is not carrying through to the Fourth of July. Temperatures will not see a massive boost, but the humidity will and you’re going to feel it. Dew points steadily tick up throughout the day, reaching uncomfortable levels by noon. This will make the mid 80s feel a lot closer to 90. If your Fourth of July plans include an outdoor barbeque, you’ll want to find a shady spot, stay hydrated, and avoid spending too much time near the grill. Heading to the beach instead? Temperatures will be significantly milder. South winds will provide a welcome onshore flow for our south-facing beaches, keeping temperatures in the 70s. Down the Jersey Shore, spots like Sea Bright and Ship Bottom are benefitting most from the breeze. On Long Island, just about anywhere along the southern coast will bring you noticeably cooler temperatures. But humidity is not the only thing increasing in Thursday’s forecast; so is the chance for storms. Thankfully, the daytime is largely dry for most of us, though increasingly cloudy. A few spotty showers are possible through the afternoon, especially in the Hudson Valley, but nothing that’s going to send your day to a screeching halt. By the evening, storm chances start to increase. And they could unfortunately overlap with the timing of Fourth of July fireworks shows, including the big Macy’s show over the Hudson River. I would not panic and start canceling plans yet, but you certainly want to keep an eye on how storm chances continue to progress. Have a backup plan ready in case the weather does take a turn for the worse. Lightning is dangerous on its own, but the chance of it striking anywhere near fireworks is never worth the risk. If fireworks are postponed, both Friday and Saturday have a chance for storms as well. Sunday looks like our best bet for getting a completely dry day this holiday weekend.   Track any approaching rain using our interactive radar below.