Alert Issued as 12 States Forecast to Swelter Under 4th of July Heat Wave

A six to 10-day temperature outlook shows which states are expecting heat over Fourth of July.

Meteorologists are warning about incoming heat after a 10-day forecast from the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center shows a high chance that at least a dozen states will experience above-average temperatures over the Fourth of July.

Heat has already plagued much of the nation this summer, with the first early season heat wave crippling the southwest earlier in June. Two weeks later, the heat shifted to the Midwest and Northeast, pushing the heat index into the 100s in areas such as New York. This week, a heat wave is lingering over the Plains states, but the Climate Prediction Center anticipates that the country's Southern region will bear the brunt of the extreme temperatures in the coming week.

According to the most recent map published by the center on Wednesday, at least 12 states have a 70 to 80 percent chance of above-average temperatures from July 2 to July 6. The states with the highest risks of heat are Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, far southern Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. Even more states are forecast to have a 50 percent chance or higher of experiencing a heat wave next week, including parts of central California.

"Confidence is increasing for a heat wave next week centered around the Fourth of July," the NWS office in California's Bay Area posted on X, formerly Twitter. "If you're making outdoor plans, big and/or small, keep an eye on the forecast as it evolves through this weekend (while enjoying the seasonal temps we're currently getting)."

Newsweek has contacted the NWS Bay Area office by phone for comment.

The hot weather accompanied by recent dryness has created favorable conditions for rapid drought development, the Climate Prediction Center warned. Many of the states set to be affected by the heat next week—and parts of the Midwest, including Illinois, Ohio and Indiana—are also at risk of rapid drought development.

Most of the northern U.S. is expected to have near normal temperatures, with temperatures in Montana, Idaho and Washington expected to be below normal.

According to the NWS HeatRisk, a tool that predicts heat-related effects over a 24-hour period, Oklahoma and Texas are experiencing the worst of the heat this week. The prediction tool forecasts that the heat will begin transitioning to the Midwest and South by the end of this week.

Heat advisories are in place in Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and South Carolina.

An average of 702 people are killed by the heat every year in the U.S., CDC data showed. Most experts advise increasing fluid intake, cooling off in air conditioning and wearing loose-fitting clothing to help alleviate heat-related effects.

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