Will it rain at Red, White & BOOM! 2025? What to expect

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- We are closing in on Red, White & BOOM!, and the forecast is on track to stay warm into the big day. After closing out June with nearly daily rain and storms scattered across the area, July will start with a front that promises to reset our atmosphere to be a bit drier, rainfall and humidity-wise, heading into Boom and the 4th Holiday!

While the general pattern will be one of lower humidity, there is some data that shows the potential for a weak disturbance to drop through the north/northeast part of the state, and at minimum, will bring some additional clouds to the area by late afternoon to the early evening on Thursday. Clearly, getting nearly half a million people outdoors for a huge fireworks event, the weather is always a major factor.

A few midrange forecast models are a bit more aggressive with this system dropping down into our area with a few isolated showers/storms. While not ideal, the consensus would be for this activity to be gone well before any fireworks are shot up into the sky. At this point, still being a few days out, it's important to monitor this part of the forecast closely, and continue to update it as more data becomes available.

While the chance of rain or a rumble or two is very low, it's not zero, so keep in mind a plan on where you would go, or what you would do if a storm does pop up. Remember, when thunder roars, head indoors. That's a good plan, but it might be more challenging while downtown with half of central Ohio around you.

Temperature-wise, it's going to be warm, upper 80s warm in the afternoon. Dewpoints look to remain in the low-to-mid 60s, so this should yield peak heat index values near 90. Temps are expected to drop to the lower 80s with heat index values very similar by the time the fireworks are shot off. These numbers are not dangerous, but if you are planning on spending the day downtown, make sure you are prepared.

Sunscreen is a must this time of the year; lightweight, light-colored clothing always helps to not gather all the sun's heat, and please, please, stay hydrated.

We will continue to monitor and update the forecast for the rest of the week. Check in here, and if you don't already, grab the free Storm Team 4 weather app. You can set it to alert you when lightning is near, and get custom alerts where and how you like them.

-Dave