National July Fourth forecast: Storms to light up the sky from Oklahoma City to DC

July Fourth will be stormy from the central Plains to the mid-Atlantic, while clear skies are in store for much of the Midwest and New England.

Showers and thunderstorms threaten to interrupt July Fourth plans and fireworks from Oklahoma to Virginia. However, Saturday will not be a complete washout as there will be stretches of dry weather for areas that are being threatened by showers and thunderstorms.

Spotty showers or thunderstorms are possible for parts of the Northeast including Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic portion of the I-95 corridor.

"These pop-up storms will not ruin the holiday but could interfere with outdoor activities at times," AccuWeather Meteorologist Becky Elliot said.

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Those who have cookouts or firework displays planned should keep an eye on the sky and check AccuWeather MinuteCast® to know when plans need to be moved indoors.

Temperatures will range from the mid-70s F to low 80s F.

Farther north in New England, it will remain dry for the holiday. Partly to mostly sunny skies will allow excellent viewing of fireworks.

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Parts of the western Gulf Coast, central Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and Florida will have scattered showers and storms, with the potential for locally drenching rain. These storms will tend to develop during the afternoon and evening hours.

Highs will reach the upper 80s F to lower 90s F with humidity contributing to higher AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures.

Warmth will bake the Southeast with temperatures reaching into the 90s F inland and 80s F along the coast due to the sea breeze. The southern Appalachians will be cooler with high temperatures getting into the upper 70s F.

The northern Plains will stay dry, and conditions will be favorable for outdoor activities. Temperatures will climb into the mid-80s F to low 90s F.

Those planning to spend Saturday hiking or at a national park or forest from the Rockies to the Cascades and Sierra should be prepared for the chance of pop-up storms to occur in these areas. Dry lightning is also possible with some of these storms. Dry storms have little precipitation and mostly lightning.

"The best chance to see dry lighting would be the in the afternoon and early evening hours, but there are exceptions," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

As soon as thunder is heard, the risk of being struck by lightning is present, so make sure to have a plan of where to seek shelter during a thunderstorm.

In other places in the West, especially the Pacific Northwest, conditions will remain hot and dry for July Fourth. These areas will not get relief from the heat as temperatures in the valleys will be in the upper 90s F and even 100s F in some spots. Those looking for some relief from the heat should head to the coast, where temperatures will not be as high due to a cooler flow from the ocean.

Due to the dry conditions, residents will have to be cautious when participating in holiday festivities that involve fire, including grilling, camping and setting off fireworks, to avoid starting a brush or wildfire. Some communities have fireworks bans due to the drought and dangerous wildfire threat, so be sure to check your local restrictions.

To determine the best time to schedule outdoor plans, be sure to check back with AccuWeather.com for forecast updates leading up to the holiday weekend.