This July 4th could be hottest ever in parts of U.S. Maps show the forecast expected to break records.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: July 3, 2026 / 8:34 AM EDT


This July Fourth could be the hottest on record for millions of Americans as a massive heat wave traps more than half of the United States under a heat dome through the holiday weekend.

Dangerously high temperatures continued to ramp up Thursday from the Midwest to the East Coast, forecasters said.

Between daily high temperatures and warm overnight lows — which won't be low enough to offer much relief — more than 300 records are expected to be set by Saturday.


Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heat-wave-hottest-july-4th-record-temperatures/

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We were supposed to have a HUGE 2 mile parade through the historic area today here in Philly, where this country was founded, and it was initially shortened to 1 mile yesterday, then moved an hour earlier to start last night, and as of this morning, it's canceled due to the heat.

It is not even 9 am ET and my weather station is reading 91.

[Tim S]

1. Good thing 'Climate change is a hoax". The Godess has her ways...

[Goonch]

2. ;-{) THIS

[BigmanPigman]

3. I've been following the Philly weather and the Poconos

For several days, as well as DC and NYC. They're all cooking. I'm so sad about all the non-tRump celebrations being canceled but I certainly understand why. Having lived in these cities, in the summer and without A/C it is sheer misery. Add the humidity and forget it. I'd sleep on the fire escape or a roof at night once the outside is cooler than the inside. The first thing stolen from me in the summer in 1979 in NYC, Union Sq was in broad daylight...a box window fan! My dad mentioned this clever and fast crime throughout his entire life.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. The one unique thing about this heatwave are the dewpoints (used to calculate humidity)

They have literally been in the upper 70s/low 80s with the triple digit temps (usually mix out to the 50s or 60s with higher temps but haven't).

Right now, my temp is 92 with dewpoint 79 (humidity 65%).

[ms liberty]

4. In the NC foothills, at 9:15 am, it's already 95. Yesterday the high was 107

It's brutal, and everything is fried and dried as a bone here. On the 25th, we got .003 rain. We usually get thunderstorms every afternoon until about mid July, but not this year.

[Jerry2144]

5. It's Charlie Kirk's fault

He's opening the Gates of Hell to admit Mitch McConnell to the adjoining pit of brimstone

[mdbl]

7. How did Bari Weiss let this report get out?

She's supposed to be rah-rahing pres Dump's stupid shit planned for the 4th. Someone tell Ellison!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Today is the federal holiday for July 4th (always observed on a weekday)

so she figured it would be lost in the Taylor Swift non-newsworthy wedding news obsession.

[mdbl]

9. You're giving her too much credit.

I don't think she thinks that deeply.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Entertainment programming is the great distractor

and they seem to be bored with the World Cup now.

[1WorldHope]

11. I'm sure every generation thinks that this is the end.

And I wonder how many other people here grew up thinking something really really bad was going to happen on a worldwide level in their lifetime. I've always had that feeling. I am terrified about the destruction and suffering that's going to come from this climate change, there will be people who survive and a lot of us who don't, really a sad waste. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. I feel so strongly about this I can't even make sarcastic jokes anymore about it. Good luck everyone.

[angrychair]

12. Thankfully

Here in western Washington it will be 74. Maybe wish it was a little warmer but no complaints.

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. We've been routinely topping the 100 mark in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia this week.

It's crazy!

[FakeNoose]

14. It's very hot in Pittsburgh this week, for sure

Today it's supposed to get up to 97 degrees, and we're told tomorrow will be up to 92. Yikes!

This is unusual for southwest Pennsylvania, where it rarely gets much above the high 80s. I can remember a few years like this where we broke a record, but it isn't normal. How do we know what's "normal" anymore, that's the question.

I've travelled and vacationed in other states, including Florida, Texas and southern California. They seem to be better equipped to handle these high temperatures on a regular basis. For us it's a pretty big deal, we're not used to it. You won't hear me complain about the weather in Pittsburgh very often, mostly I'm happy to be living here.

[patphil]

15. I recorded 101.7 degrees on my weather station in Chester, NY yesterday.

At 11AM this morning is was already 96 degrees, so another 100 degree day is almost a certainty.
For the record, the temperature in Chester gets to 100 degrees about once in a decade, now we're going to get there 2 days in a row.
I don't think we'll break the all-time high of 106 degrees set in 1916, but we might get to 102 or even 103.
This whole week has been very hot and dry.

[dalton99a]

16. Trump's goal: "We are the hottest country anywhere in the world!"

[IronLionZion]

17. During the polar vortex last winter, MAGAts kept saying they wanted more global warming

because they are too dumb to understand that's exactly what causes both extremes. MAGA business owners want warming arctic areas to open up for mining and shipping.

[DrFunkenstein]

18. I Blame Al Gore

I'm taking a page out of Trump's pandemic response - if we pretend it doesn't exist, it can't hurt us. If Gore hadn't droned on and on about climate change, none of this would be happening now and ruining Trump's royal jubilee.