It's no surprise that the Fourth of July is, on average, the hottest major holiday of the year. The holiday occurs just eleven days before the midpoint of meteorological summer, when the average high temperature at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport will reach its yearly maximum (83°). While temperatures in the low to mid-80s would be perfect for spending the day outside, we have seen extremes in both directions on the holiday.

On twelve different occasions, high temperatures have reached 90° or higher on the 4th, including the second earliest Fourth of July on record. On July 4th, 1897, high temperatures surged to 99°, a mark that hasn't been touched since. The closest we've come was in 1949, when highs reached 96° at the airport. In more recent times, we have seen temperatures hit 90° on the holiday three times since the turn of the century (2002, 2012, and 2018).

 

On the flip side, high temperatures have failed to reach 70° on four different occasions, most recently in 1998. July 4th, 1968, was also a cooler day with afternoon high temperatures of 72°, but it was the overnight low that set records. Temperatures in the Mahoning Valley fell into the low 40s that night, with an official low temperature of 42°.

We have not seen either extreme over the past five years, but overall temperatures have been above average, with highs in the upper 80s in 2022 and 2020. High temperatures were a bit more seasonable the past two years, but the bigger story was the rain on both days.

Last July, a cold front moving through the region led to rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the region, especially during the afternoon and evening. Rainfall totals at the airport were a modest 0.36". Showers and storms were not as widespread in 2023, but rainfall totals at the airport were significantly higher. That day, 1.17" of rain was measured at KYNG, ranking as the fourth wettest Fourth of July on record. July 4th festivities in both 1910 and 1943 were most likely washouts, with over 1.5" of rain falling on both days.

The forecast for this Fourth of July is looking a bit better. High temperatures are forecasted to reach the mid-80s with mostly sunny skies. Most importantly, this July 4th will be dry for any parades or fireworks happening around the valley.