Tropical Storm Arthur 2014 formed Monday and is the first official storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. According to forecasts, the storm is expected to strike the Carolinas by Thursday. Timing couldn’t be worse as Tropical Storm Arthur could stand to ruin the Independence Day weekend barbeques of many families along the Atlantic coast.
Tropical Storm Arthur formed late Monday night off the coast of Florida. The system remained relatively stationary at first, but now Arthur is moving and is currently producing up to 3 inches or rain and winds sustaining 40 mph. While it is never a good idea to host a backyard party during a tropical storm system, diehard surfers and thrill seekers are itching to ride some big waves. However, beachgoers are alerted to avoid dangerous rip currents.
"There's fairly strong southward-flowing long shore current," said Bob Cristaldi, a National Weather Service forecaster in Melbourne, Fla. "And when you have strong winds with a system and it kind of generates some swell, you tend to get an increase in rip current activity."
According to forecasts, the tropical depression will turn northward by Wednesday and reach the Carolinas by Thursday night. By early Friday, Tropical Storm Arthur could evolve into a hurricane.
"The tropical system is likely to spoil a day at the beach (along the East Coast) due to the risk of downpours and rough surf," wrote AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski."As long as the tropical system does not stall, clearing is likely from west to east in coastal areas of the Northeast Friday night, perhaps just in time for firework shows from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, and New York City."
“A lot of tropical moisture is going to be sent up into the region from this system,” said WeatherWorks meteorologist Nick Troiano. “I wouldn’t be surprised if an area from the Carolinas into the Capital Beltway and the I-95 corridor and even up into southern New England saw between 2 and 4 inches of rain from Wednesday through Saturday.”
Depending on how Arthur develops in the days ahead, July 4 may not be a complete washout. Reports say both a cold front and a tropical system are expected to rapidly depart the east coast on Friday and while some rain is likely, conditions should improve rapidly as the day progresses.
Even if we avoid a July 4 rain storm, heat and humidity may still make Independence Day a little difficult to bear. Temperatures may rise as far as the low 90s with 60 to 70 percent humidity. Stay tuned as we find out more on Tropical Storm Arthur’s development in the days ahead.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
