Millions of people in the U.S. celebrated and suffered under heat warnings as they flocked to beaches and traveled in droves to toast their nation’s birth with July 4 parades, cookouts and the always anticipated fiery splashes of color in the evening sky. Travel records were projected to fall with people jamming airports and crowding highways to reach Thursday’s Independence Day celebrations, which will stretch into a long weekend for many.
Quick Read
- Around 134 million people in the U.S. are under alerts due to an “extremely dangerous and record-breaking” heat wave affecting much of the country, according to the National Weather Service.
- Temperatures are expected to soar above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and into the triple digits in regions including nearly all of the West Coast, the southern Plains, most of the lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley, and parts of Florida.
- The Pacific Northwest will experience rising temperatures later in the weekend, while Arizona continues to face extreme heat as firefighters battle a wildfire near Phoenix.
- High humidity in some regions will exacerbate the heat, making it difficult for sweat to cool the body effectively, according to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.
- The heat wave coincides with Fourth of July celebrations, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses as people stay outdoors longer and may neglect hydration, warns meteorologist Chris Stachelski.
- Climate change is contributing to longer and more intense heat waves, with this one potentially being more dangerous due to its duration, breadth, and high overnight temperatures.
- The most vulnerable populations include the young, the elderly, and those without access to air conditioning, who are urged to stay hydrated and find cool environments.
- Extended high temperatures will also dry out vegetation, increasing the severity of the fire season on the West Coast.
- Experts emphasize the underestimated dangers of heat, both in the immediate context of heat waves and the broader trends of global warming.
The Associated Press has the story:
Americans suffer searing heat to celebrate 4th of July at overcrowded beaches & parades
Newslooks- (AP)
Around 134 million people in the U.S. are under alerts as an “extremely dangerous and record-breaking” heat wave broils much of the country, according to the National Weather Service. Regions that may see temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or much higher into the triple digits (well above 37 degrees Celsius) include nearly all of the West Coast, the southern Plains, most of the lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and parts of Florida, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service.
The Pacific Northwest will see the mercury rising later in the weekend. Arizona will continue to sizzle as firefighters battle a wildfire near Phoenix, where some contend with burns from blazing hot asphalt, concrete or other surfaces. And more humid regions will see a muggy weekend.
“If it’s both humid and hot, you can’t really rely on sweat to cool you down to a safe level,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles.
It’s a dangerous weather pattern hitting as fires burn in northern California, and just in time for a holiday weekend. When people are celebrating, “it’s very easy to get sidetracked,” staying out for longer and forgetting to stay hydrated, said Chris Stachelski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “And then all of a sudden you’re putting yourself more at risk.”
Human-caused climate change is making heat waves longer and more intense. More research will be needed to link an individual event like this one directly to climate change, but given the overall trajectory, Swain wasn’t surprised by the forecast this weekend. Even so, “the pace of record breaking heat extremes and precipitation extremes is becoming a little bit overwhelming,” he said.
This heat wave’s expected duration, breadth and high overnight temperatures compound the risks to people’s health. “I think this heat wave may end up being more consequential, more dangerous, and more record breaking in many cases than the heat waves that produce those slightly higher temperatures,” Swain said.
Stachelski added that even after the highest temperatures have passed, heat can still be dangerous, especially to the most vulnerable — the young, old and those without access to air conditioning.
Experts urge people to drink plenty of water and find air conditioning. Big Sur State Parks used Sabrina Carpenter lyrics to urge hikers to “please, please, please” avoid caffeine and alcohol, wear sun protection and know trails ahead of time.
The extended high temperatures that cook the West Coast will also dry out vegetation and set the stage to make the remaining months of the fire season more severe, Swain said.
“Heat is an underrated killer,” Swain said, referring both in the short term to heat waves like this one and to the broader trends of global warming. “It’s one we’ve long underestimated. And I think we continue to do so at our peril.”
Millions of people in the U.S. celebrated and suffered under heat warnings as they flocked to beaches and traveled in droves to toast their nation’s birth with July 4 parades, cookouts and the always anticipated fiery splashes of color in the evening sky.
Travel records were projected to fall with people jamming airports and crowding highways to reach Thursday’s Independence Day celebrations, which will stretch into a long weekend for many.
On the East Coast, some would-be beachgoers in Connecticut were turned away as parking at state parks along the shore filled to capacity, including a 2-mile (3 kilometer) stretch at Hammonasset Beach State Park — the state’s largest shoreline beach.
Across the West, meanwhile, residents dealt with stifling heat as the National Weather Service warned of a “significant and extremely dangerous” heat wave across much of the region.
A heat advisory in Philadelphia that came with temperatures tipping into the 90s didn’t stop crowds from gathering at historic sites in the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
Outside the National Constitution Center, volunteer actors dressed in Revolutionary War-era costume made of heavy wool, despite the heat. Participants said it was worth it.
“It keeps you connected to your neighborhood and where you live,” said Adrian Mercado, who was donning a 6th Pennsylvania Regiment uniform.
Evening fireworks were scheduled over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, after a concert by NE-YO and Kesha.
Fireworks crackled in backyard displays and an anticipated 16,000 professional shows were planned to light up the horizon from sea to shining sea.
“This is how we celebrate. It’s the bombs bursting in air. It’s the rockets’ red glare. That’s how people show their pride and patriotism,” said Julie Heckman of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
All signs pointed to big celebrations: The Transportation Security Administration reported that a record of nearly 3 million people traveled through airports in a single day last week, a figure expected to be broken this week. AAA projected that 60.6 million people will travel by car during the holiday period. Part of the boost was attributed to easing inflation, though many Americans remain concerned about the economy.
On much of the West Coast, residents were advised to take precautions to avoid overheating on the holiday.
Temperatures were expected to top 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius) across both coastal and inland areas of California, with heat spreading into the Pacific Northwest. Some spots in the desert Southwest were expecting temperatures topping 120 degrees (49 degrees Celsius). Hot, muggy conditions also permeated the Deep South and Middle Atlantic.
The Northern California city of Oroville’s annual fireworks were canceled as an estimated 17,000 residents remained under evacuation orders or warnings by the Thompson Fire, while hundreds of firefighters toiled under extreme heat to keep flames from reaching more homes.
In suburban Chicago, Highland Park resumed its annual Independence Day Parade on the second anniversary of a mass shooting that took seven lives and injured dozens at the 2022 event. Residents gathered at a middle school for a remembrance Thursday before the holiday march, which followed a different route than in the past.
“July Fourth is always going to be a day of mixed emotion,” Mayor Nancy Rotering said. “We come forth today hoping we as a community can remember and honor the lives lost.”
The holiday celebrating the establishment a new country free from British rule, is traditionally marked by barbecue, cold drinks and the Stars and Stripes on flagpoles and on clothing, in addition to parades. But Americans were also celebrating in other ways unique to their communities.
Of course, there was the annual hot dog eating contest on New York’s Coney Island — where a new champion chomper emerged. Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago gobbled down 58 hot dogs to win his first men’s title.
In Alaska, the city of Seward got a head start with a fireworks display at midnight, as thousands of people gathered on a rocky beach to watch during the brief window where the sky dims in the land of the midnight sun. The shells burst over Resurrection Bay as people watched in silence. “It was absolutely magical,” said resident Iris Woolfolk.
The July Fourth holiday generally unites Americans in their shared love of country, but the 2024 version comes against a backdrop of deep political polarization and a divisive presidential race.
In Boston, where tens of thousands were expected to enjoy the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, conductor Keith Lockhart said it’s inspiring to see people of different political stripes gather on Charles River Esplanade. But he noted that “one would have to have one’s head pretty deeply stuck in the sand to not notice the deep divisions in our country.”
