Storms will precede a much nicer 4th of July

It's another oppressive day in the Charlotte area, with temperatures above the 90-degree mark and humidity levels that are difficult to tolerate.

But better days are ahead ... as in Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Conditions are shaping up for a beautiful Independence Day weekend across the Charlotte region. While the coastal sections of the Carolinas worry about approaching Tropical Storm Arthur, the central and western parts of the two states will feature some great weather.

The Fourth of July in Charlotte is usually synonymous with heat, humidity and evening thunderstorms.

But a cold front is forecast to push across the area Thursday, and it will take the heat and humidity with it.

The 2 p.m. temperature Wednesday in Charlotte was 91 degrees, and the 70-degree dew point temperature produced a heat index of 97 degrees. That's not pleasant, and it's the second straight day we've dealt with those conditions. It's even worse in Raleigh, where a 95-degree air temperature and high humidity is producing a heat index of 103 degrees.

Thunderstorms are forecast to break out Wednesday afternoon and evening in the mountains and spread eastward into the Piedmont. A few severe storms are possible.

Additional thunderstorms are likely Thursday as the cold front approaches. Once again, some severe weather is probable, and people attending the Charlotte Symphony Pops Concert and fireworks display at SouthPark will need to keep tuned to weather forecasts.

Friday, behind the front, we can expect lower humidity levels, mostly clear skies, and temperatures in the upper 80s. There won't be any heat index issues, and if all that isn't enough, the warm weather will be tempered by a fairly stiff northerly breeze around the back side of Tropical Storm (or Hurricane) Arthur as it moves up the East Coast.

Morning lows will be in the mid 60s both Saturday and Sunday, and daytime highs will only reach the middle 80s.

For this time of year, that kind of weather is a treat.