5:30pm Wednesday, July 2, 2025
A drier weather pattern sets in for Wednesday night in Richmond and it continues through this coming Independence Day weekend.
Temperatures will be near normal (highs near 90) from Thursday through Sunday with very little — if any chance of rain. Even the classic scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected to take a break through this weekend.
In fact, the best weather news comes on Friday the Fourth, when there will be a noticeable drop in humidity. As a result, temperatures between 8-10 pm on Friday evening (prime fireworks time) will slowly fall out of the 80s and into the upper 70s.
It will not be cool like spring, but it will be a welcome change versus the last week or two.
More specifically:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, and an easing of the humidity. Upper 80s.
4th of July looks good: Sunny, noticeably less humid by the afternoon. Upper 80s.
Saturday: Sunny. Upper 80s.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, seasonably hot, but the humidity stays tolerable. Right around 90.
Daybreak temperatures over the weekend will be from the mid 60s to around 70.
Different storms brewing
There is unpleasant news again in the weather business this week, and many of my colleagues from across the country have outlined it exceptionally well. I will borrow from three of them this week.
In short, several vital weather research labs are at risk of being shut down entirely. These labs have given us huge advances in our understanding of tornadoes, hurricanes, and the broader climate — all saving American lives and money.
I’ve quoted some of their passages, with their complete essays linked via their names below.
Meteorologist Matt Lanza, Houston, TX:
“America has been the undisputed global leader in weather research in recent decades because of the investments we have made in research and development. We don’t often get surprised by weather like we did 50 to 100 years ago or more. This budget being sent to Congress is a disrespectful slap in the face to all those efforts and will allow America to abdicate the role of dominance in this space to another nation (more than likely China).”
Meteorologist Michael Lowry, Miami, FL:
“With the proposed shuttering of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, the Hurricane Research Division, and their sister cooperative institutes starting in 2026, forecasters could lose all tools currently available to estimate and forecast hurricane intensity. It’s a seismic blow to the arsenal of tools forecasters rely on to confidently deliver timely and accurate predictions of threatening hurricanes.”
Meteorologist Alan Gerard, Norman, OK:
“When you look at an NWS Doppler radar image, when you see an article talking about the dramatic improvements in hurricane forecasting in the last couple of decades, when you see scientists showing the Keeling Curve of global carbon dioxide — all of that (and of course so much more) is the result of the work of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research labs and cooperative institutes.”
Finally, a personal note. I am a meteorologist and grateful for your subscription.
But I am also an American and a native of Virginia. My ancestors are French Huguenots, arriving here in 1700. My grandparents (from both sides) moved to Richmond from Campbell and Halifax Counties.
Some of the things I have seen this week have troubled me deeply, and I wanted to articulate what is going on.
Thank you for listening. If you choose to stop subscribing, I will certainly understand and wish you well.