Independence Day weekend could bring rain, thunderstorms, impact fireworks displays

Thunderstorms could overtake the Independence Day fireworks displays Long Islanders hope will light up their skies this weekend.

The National Weather Service in Upton said a weak frontal system will linger over Long Island throughout the holiday weekend, and with it, the possibility of scattered showers and thunderstorm conditions.

Thursday’s daytime forecast calls for partly sunny conditions with a high around 79, but after 2 p.m., the weather service predicts a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. After 8 p.m., the agency foreshadows a 40% chance of such conditions.

“It's not going to be a washout of a day,” weather service meteorologist Jay Engle said of Thursday during a telephone interview Tuesday evening. “But as you get later in the day into the early evening, the chances of isolated to scattered thunderstorms increases.”

Engle added that since thunderstorms “tend to be localized,” it might be premature to cancel fireworks displays, parades and other festivities planned for Thursday on Long Island.

“It’s a ‘keep an eye to the sky’ sort of thing,” the meteorologist said. “You probably wouldn’t cancel things ahead of time, but you could get something local that could move through and could put a damper on things.”

The skies could also open during the remainder of the extended holiday weekend. The weather service predicts a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday and a 40% chance Saturday.

“The front’s going to kind of stall and hang around a bit into the weekend, so you’re going to have this ongoing chance of scattered showers and storms, but the higher chance would be later in the afternoon and evening for both Friday and Saturday,” Engle said. “Not washouts, but certainly a little unsettled with pop-up showers and storms.”

Engle added there is a “slight chance” of scattered rain on Sunday, and conditions could “remain unsettled into a portion of Monday next week as well.”