NWS issues extreme heat watch for Capital Region, Hudson Valley ahead of Fourth of July weekend

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat watch that includes the Capital Region and Hudson Valley ahead of a predicted spell of heat and humidity during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

“All three days are looking

really bad right now,” said Joe Villani, a senior meteorologist with the NWS Albany office. “And we are not going to get much relief at night, so it will be a compounding effect every day.”

Saratoga Springs, Albany, Catskill and Poughkeepsie were all predicted to record temperatures above 90 with humidity during the heat’s peak on Thursday.

Swimming areas will open for extended hours to allow New Yorkers to cool off during the heat wave, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s

office announced on Monday. State park beaches — including those at Saratoga Spa, Lake Taghkanic, Grafton Lakes and Moreau — were expected to remain open into the evening hours this week. 

Albany typically averages 83 degrees in early July. Areas to its north see slightly cooler temperatures, while Hudson Valley cities like Poughkeepsie see Fourth of July averages between 84 and 85 degrees, according to NWS records.

Forecasters say several days of high temperatures will settle in across the Northeast. It was unclear when the heat would break, but early models showed a potential cold front dropping into the region that could bring cooler temperatures beginning early next week.

“Temperatures for July 4th weekend may end up cooler than the current forecast” if predicted thunderstorms bring rainfall to puncture the heat dome, according to the NWS Albany forecast on Monday.

The predicted heat dome is expected to start taking shape early next week and will cover much of the eastern U.S. Some states could see triple-digit

temperatures, with much of the central U.S. facing a week or more of 90-degree heat, according to AccuWeather. 

“Heat domes can prevent clouds from forming, resulting in abundant sunshine that boosts temperatures, potentially toward record levels,” AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said in an online forecast. 

Albany typically averages 83 degrees in early July. Areas to its north see slightly cooler temperatures, while Hudson Valley cities like Poughkeepsie see Fourth of July averages between 84 and 85 degrees, according to NWS records.