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Independence Day weather history

What was the hottest, coldest and wettest 4th of July in Hampton Roads?

NORFOLK, Va. — It goes without saying that Independence Day, falling on July 4th, is the hottest holiday here in Hampton Roads! And since we have been keeping records, Norfolk has seen some extremes. 

Temperature records for Norfolk go back to 1874, while precipitation records date back to 1871. The observation site has moved a few times but has been at Norfolk International Airport, then Norfolk Municipal Airport, since 1940.

Digging through the climatology, here's a look at how other Independence Days have played out here in Hampton Roads.

The hottest Independence Day was 98° in 1997. Our normal, or average, high temperature this time of year is 89°, so we were 9° above normal. Other days in July have record highs over 100°, but July 4th is one of the lower records for the month.

Credit: 13News Now
The hottest Independence Day in Norfolk was in 1997, when the high temperature was 98°.

The coldest Independence Day was back in 1982, when temperatures dropped to 59°, well below our normal, or average, low temperature this time of year, 72°.

Credit: 13News Now
The coldest Independence Day in Norfolk was in 1892, when the low temperature was 59°.

Finally, the wettest Independence Day goes back to July 4, 1981. That day, thunderstorms gave us 2.73" of rain. How does that compare to the average? If you add up and average things out over the last 30 years, we typically see just over a tenth of an inch of rain.

Credit: 13News Now
The wettest Independence Day in Norfolk was in 1981, when 2.73" of rain fell.

What about this year, 2024? After several days of pleasant weather with blow-normal temperatures and lower humidity, it looks like it's going to be a hot day with high temperatures in the lower to middle 90s and a very low risk of a shower or thunderstorm in the evening.

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