Rain on July 4th is a pretty sure bet. According to weather historian Mark Seeley, nearly half of Independence Days since 1871 have seen rain at MSP. It even rained July 4, 2022, and July 4, 2023, both drought summers, so there is that.
This year will be no exception. In fact Thursday may wind up as the wettest day of the next four days. My “weather grade” for the next four days has gone from C- to C+. Things look slightly better than they did days ago. Showers and thunderstorms are likely during the day Thursday and Thursday night; a few may be strong to severe. Talk about fireworks.
A wet start Friday gives way to drier skies and a few sunny spurts Friday afternoon and evening. And the best chance of Saturday and Sunday thunderstorms will come late each day. In theory, on paper, there should be enough murky sunshine both days for highs near 80F in the metro area. Most of the holiday will be dry, but I can’t promise any totally rain-free days anytime soon.
California is in a heat wave while Hurricane Beryl is heading toward Cancun. It can always be worse, right?
