This summer has tried out a couple of different styles in Southwest and Southside Virginia, but is opting to put on something that will be widely applauded for the Fourth of July weekend.
After a few days of extreme heat pushing toward 100 a week ago in the lower elevations of our region, then several days of sticky-stormy weather that was a little less hot but more humid with hit-and-miss afternoon thunderstorm deluges, the Fourth of July weekend weather in our region will feature fairly typical summer temperatures, less stickiness, and little or no rain.
A cold front pushed across our region on Tuesday evening, bringing one last barrage of rain and storms that were more widespread than the scattered hit-and-miss storms of most other recent days. 
The cold front will usher in a slightly cooler and much less humid air mass for the Fourth of July and into the weekend, with warmth and moisture only gradually rebuilding into next week.
In short, the holiday will feature weather fairly typical of early July, with 80s to lower 90s highs across the region, and little or no chance of rain — just about perfect for barbecues, water sports and fireworks displays.
Just as it seems like Christmas should be at least a little cold even when it doesn’t snow, it seems equally appropriate that the Fourth of July be at least a little hot even if it isn’t a sizzling firecracker. 
Long-range signals do not seem to point to any return of extreme heat for our region anytime soon, as the core of hot high pressure builds over the western half of the U.S. and perhaps spreads eastward along the Canadian border. Depending on exactly how this sets up, this could lead to fairly typical summer temperatures or even a few days of cooler than normal weather approaching mid-month.
The late June bout of extreme heat included four consecutive days of 100-plus temperatures at the John H. Kerr Dam in Mecklenburg County, peaking at 102 on June 25, and a single day reaching 100 at South Boston in Halifax County. Several other locations in the Roanoke Valley and east of the Blue Ridge had multiple days of mid to upper 90s. Temperatures backed off a few degrees as daily bouts of thunderstorms developed starting last Thursday and continuing through Tuesday.
We are reaching the time of year when watching the tropics becomes more important, and the National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area near the Southeast U.S. coast for possible tropical development over the next week. But at this point it appears unlikely that a tropical cyclone will develop and probably would not become a major hurricane. Just be aware of the potential if you have coastal travel plans.
Journalist Kevin Myatt has been writing about weather for 20 years. His weekly column, appearing on Wednesdays, is sponsored by Oakey’s, a family-run, locally-owned funeral home with locations throughout the Roanoke Valley. Sign up for his weekly newsletter:
