Will Rain Dampen July 4? Illinois Holiday Forecast

ILLINOIS — If you're heading out to barbecues or fireworks displays over the next few days, you may be wondering if the weather will affect your plans.

For the Chicago area, it looks like the weather will be dry and warm for any plans scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday.

There may be some scattered early morning showers on Wednesday, and a slight chance of a thunderstorm for those north of Interstate 80, before the rain clears out for the day, according to the National Weather Service.

For those headed to pools or lakes for the holiday, the high for Wednesday is 89 degrees, and Thursday will be 85.

Thursday's forecast also looks favorable for fireworks, as any showers or storms should be mainly after midnight, according to the weather service.

"Most of the 4th of July should be dry and warm with rain probably holding off until later Thursday night," the weather service said on its Facebook.

Accuweather forecasters said Chicago will have "good" fireworks viewing conditions on July 4, while the central and southern parts of the state range from "fair" to "poor" conditions.

If your Fourth of July festivities are continuing into the weekend, here's a look at the latest forecast for the Chicago area, from the National Weather Service.

Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.