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July 3, 2007

Weather

Storms might ruin the Fourth for many

Forecasts with high chances of rain mean back-up plans are a must for those planning to celebrate outdoors.

Story by: Ray Edward Buffington IV

The Shorthorn staff

Rain, rain, go away, don’t come back until after Independence Day.

With the constant rains and recent floods that made last month the second rainiest June in Metroplex history, celebrators of America’s freedom are facing the chance of a quieter but drier indoor celebration this Fourth of July. Bottle rockets, sparklers and other explosive devices might have to be saved for a nonrainy day if the weather continues its rampage in North Texas.

KTXA meteorologist Jeff Jamison said the week’s forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area looks dreary and wet, with a slight chance of citizens being able to follow through with patriotic party plans.

“We definitely have a better than 50 percent chance for heavy downpours, especially later in the morning, afternoon and in the evening,” he said. “This doesn’t bode well for people who have plans for picnics, going to the lake or barbecues.”

Flash flood watches will be effective all the way through Wednesday evening, he said.

The downpours may also douse some university students’ and faculty members’ firework fun.

Psychology senior Daniel Gandara plans to take a road trip to Austin with some close friends for the star-spangled weekend. Bar-hopping, lounging by a lake and possibly watching fireworks are all on the itinerary, weather permitting, he said.

But rain won’t dampen his patriotic spirit. Gandara said that one Fourth of July in Houston, a downpour tried to extinguish his fun. He said he had a simple solution.

“We just moved the party,” he said. “We drove for about an hour to some other part of town where it was not raining and reset the party there.”

Lori Norris, science special programs coordinator, said she was worried that Mother Nature is plotting to rain on her parade — literally.

“I’m actually riding on the UTA float in the Arlington Fourth of July parade,” she said. “So if it rains, it is going to ruin my day for sure.”

Norris said her holiday plans tend to revolve around her college-aged daughter. She said the two of them typically go to a lake somewhere to relax, jet ski and maybe get a tan, but the wild weather has flooded the lake and their hopes of fun in the sun.

“The weather is definitely ruining a lot of stuff this year,” she said.

If it does rain on the evening of the Fourth, she said, she plans to celebrate American independence by going out and stuffing herself with Tex-Mex.