Classic Vermont Fourth Of July Weather In Progress, Including A Few Hazards

A classic Fourth of July sky at noon today in Vermont.
Hazy blue sky amid high humidity, and some
attempts at showers or thunderstorms forming
in the distance near the mountains. 

 If this isn't quintessential Vermont Fourth of July weather, I don't know what is. 

As of noon, it's really humid, hazy, with some sun and clouds. Some of those clouds are towering up into scattered showers and thunderstorms.  You can't have a Fourth of July without some fireworks, right?  

I'm posting later than usual today because I timed some hard physical labor early in the morning, to avoid the worst of the warmth and especially the humidity. 

I'm still hopelessly dehydrated from all that sweating and sipping Pedialyte in an attempt to recover.

Which leads me to my first caution of the day.  The humidity will sneak up on you, and could give you heat exhaustion pretty quickly. Especially if you're running around in the sun, drinking Bud Light like there's no tomorrow and not taking breaks in the shade. Maybe have some lemonade instead and take a few dips in the lake. Or wander under the lawn sprinkler from time to time. 

That mugginess is nasty out there. And it's going to stick around at least into Friday, if not beyond. 

Then there's another problem. Lightning.  That dip in the lake is probably a bad idea if there's a thunderstorm around. They're just scattered about as of early afternoon. They will continue to be hit and miss. And probably a little more common near the mountains than in the broad valleys.

 That said, anybody could see a storm today.  Have a  plan in place to take shelter from lightning. That means getting into a building or an enclosed car.  Don't get me wrong. I love the show that lightning can provide. Just don't get hit!  

Since the storms will tend to be dying down toward sunset, I think most Fourth of July fireworks in Vermont should go on as planned tonight.  There might even be an added bonus with heat lightning in the distance. One can only hope!

The last potential ;problem to bring up today is flooding. Those thunderstorms are moving wicked slowly. They're feeding off a lot of moisture, so they can produce intense downpours. Some parts of Vermont are already soggy from a lot of rain over the past 10 days or so.

The chance of flooding today is quite low in Vermont, to be honest. But one or two spots could get an unlucky flash flood, If you're planning on camping in the woods, I'd pick a spot that's pretty far uphill from a brook, just in case. 

The greater risk of any high water is south and east of us. I notice a good chunks of New Hampshire, Maine and southern New England is now under a flood watch. And as of noon, a flash flood warning was up for northern Connecticut. 

Bottom line: Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the holiday, but be ready to change your plans to dodge any storms or showers that come along.  And stay cool!