GOOD MORNING! It's Thursday July 3, 2008. Lingering showers and storms are possible again today, as a cold front continues to push its way across central Illinois.

The front started its approach into the region yesterday, and with any luck, it should be well to the east of us in time for fireworks tomorrow night. That’s what you really wanted to know, wasn’t it?

Today we will have a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, although we should miss out on any intense severe weather.

The temperature should also be a bit cooler today than it was yesterday. As the front moves off through the Ohio Valley, cooler air from Canada should filter into the state. Today we expect a high temperature near the 80 degree mark, with highs in the upper 70s on the fourth of July. There goes the chance to use the old “hot as a firecracker” cliché.

A 40 percent chance for rain will continue through the morning hours of the July 4th holiday, but right now it looks as if the rain threat will move off to the east by afternoon.

We are expecting a partly cloudy sky on Friday night, so most scheduled fireworks shows should go off as planned. Probably a few “un-scheduled” fireworks will go off too. But that’s another story. And probably illegal.

Of course many people will be celebrating all weekend long, so they’ll be pleased to know that the weather should be great for most outdoor events on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday will be a particularly nice day, with high temperatures warming up into the lower 80s under a mostly sunny sky. Lows will drop to the middle 60s on Sunday morning, but then the heat pump will kick into action and we anticipate things to warm up into the upper 80s by afternoon.

Dry weather should not only last through the day on Sunday, but through the early portion of next week as well.

Here’s to a safe and happy July 4th!

Gus Gordon

NewsChannel 20