As the Fourth of July approaches, very warm to hot conditions are expected across much of the West. Typical summer warmth is in the AccuWeather Independence Day forecast from the Great Lakes to the Northeast. Humid conditions with showers and thunderstorms are expected for New Mexico and parts of the Southeast, including Florida, Southern Georgia, and the Coastal Carolinas. “Parts of the Midwest, Southeast, and interior Southwest stand the most likely chance for some disruptive downpours and potent thunderstorm activity on July 4,” said Paul Pastelok, long-range meteorologist for AccuWeather. An area of clouds, showers, and thunderstorms is forecast to evolve from the northeastern Gulf Coast to the Southern Atlantic coast and linger through the first part of July. AccuWeather hurricane experts say it’s possible the broad area of low pressure could organize into one or more tropical rainstorms during this time. Mid-America could see some storms too.