4th of July weather forecast across the US: What to expect
ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Severe storms are closing in on the Northeast and extreme heat is headed to the Midwest as Americans gear up to enjoy the long Fourth of July weekend.
Here’s what you need to know about the holiday weather forecast:
If you’re hitting the road in the Northeast on Thursday afternoon or evening, be mindful of storms.
A level 2 out of 5 severe risk is in place across the Northeast, from Philadelphia to New York City and Vermont to Maine. Be prepared for damaging winds, lightning and possibly large hail.
A level 2 severe risk is also in effect in North Dakota, where damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are possible.
On July 4, temperatures will be abnormally high in the Upper Midwest.
A heat advisory is in effect in Minnesota, where the heat index — what temperature it feels like with humidity — could near 100 degrees. On Saturday, Chicago is forecast to reach 97 degrees.
The heat will then spread to the East. Burlington, Vermont, could hit a record-tying 95 degrees on Sunday.
In Texas and the West, temperatures will be below average on Friday. The high temperature is forecast to reach just 82 degrees in Los Angeles and Dallas. In San Francisco, the high temperature will be just 62 degrees.
Dallas will rebound to temperatures in the mid-90s by Saturday.
There’s also fire danger on the Fourth of July. Red flag warnings are in place for parts of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah.
Meanwhile, Florida will have widespread showers and thunderstorms on July 4.
Through Monday, rain totals could reach 4 inches in parts of Florida, while coastal Georgia and the coastal Carolinas could see up to 2 inches of rain.
Three young sisters in Washington, Olivia Decker, 5, Paityn Decker, 9, and Evelyn Decker, 8 who had not been seen since they left home for a scheduled visitation with their father have been found dead, according to the Wenatchee Police Department. Wenatchee Police Department
(WENATCHEE, Wash.) — The manhunt continued on Wednesday for 32-year-old Travis Decker, who is accused of killing his three young daughters near a campground in Washington, with officials saying he could be “anywhere within the nation.”
Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were killed after they left home for a “planned visitation” with Decker at approximately 5 p.m. on Friday, according to the Wenatchee Police Department.
At approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, officials located Decker’s vehicle unoccupied near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington, police said in a press release on Tuesday. Additional law enforcement officers responded to the scene and found the bodies of the three girls, but “Decker was not located,” police said.
A $20,00 reward has been offered for any information leading to Decker’s arrest, police said during a press conference on Tuesday evening.
Local officials are working with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshal’s Office in their search for Decker.
“We will not rest until we have located him,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said during the press conference. “He can be anywhere within the nation, so that’s why we have our federal partners on scene helping us bring in additional resources.”
Decker, who is homeless and has been living in his vehicle or at various motels or campgrounds in the area, is currently wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree kidnapping, police said. He is a former member of the military with “extensive training,” but it is unknown whether he is currently armed, officials said.
“Travis, if you’re listening, this is your opportunity to turn yourself in, do the right thing, do what you need to do and take accountability for your actions. We’re not going to rest, and we’re going to make sure we find you. You will be brought to justice, those young ladies deserve it,” Morrison said.
Prior to discovering the girls’ bodies, police said visitation had been a part of the family’s parenting plan, but Decker went “outside the parameters of it which is not normal and cause for the alarm.”
On Tuesday, officials revealed the mother of the girls, Whitney Decker, contacted police on Friday with a civil complaint, saying there were concerns of Decker being “financially stressed recently” and gave authorities information on the his vehicle. In a statement provided to ABC News, Whitney Decker said she was “concerned” about the safety of her children and that she “just wants the girls back home safe and sound.”
Detectives later learned Travis Decker and his daughters did not arrive at a “planned 5K running event” on Saturday.
At the time, the investigation had not met Amber Alert criteria, officials said, but an Endangered Missing Persons Alert had been issued through the Washington State Patrol. Before the discovery of the girls’ bodies, officials said they were granted arrest warrants for Decker on three counts of custodial interference.
Details regarding the daughters’ cause of death will be kept private until officials said they can “ensure that the information we are sharing is not going to compromise the investigation.”
Decker, who is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing a light shirt and dark shorts, according to police. Decker’s father is flying in to speak with detectives, officials said.
Officials said anyone who has any information on Decker or knows of his whereabouts should call 911 immediately. Another press conference regarding the search for Decker will be held on Wednesday evening, officials said.
(NEW YORK) — The body of an unidentified person has been found floating near the Isles of Shoals off of the coast of New Hampshire in the Atlantic Ocean, police said.
The grisly discovery was made on Sunday morning at approximately 9:15 a.m. when a person on a fishing vessel reported seeing a body floating near the Isles of Shoals to the U.S. Coast Guard, according to a statement from the New Hampshire State Police on Thursday.
“The Coast Guard relayed the information to members of the New Hampshire State Police – Marine Patrol, who responded and recovered the body,” officials said.
Authorities did not immediately provide details on the condition the body was in, whether the person was male or female or give an estimate on the age of the person that they are trying to identify.
“The investigation is ongoing to determine the person’s identity, as well as their cause and manner of death,” officials said.
Authorities said that there are no known threats to the public in connection with this incident but did not say if they suspected foul play or not.
The investigation into the death is currently ongoing.
(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three suspects who are allegedly involved in a series of attacks against a transgender woman — with the most recent incident taking place on Sunday.
Police released photos of the three suspects and said that an initial attack and sexual assault allegedly took place on April 8, while the most recent attacks that police believe to be “perpetrated by the same individuals” allegedly took place at around 11:38 p.m. local time on Saturday.
No arrests had been made in this case as of Monday afternoon, an LAPD spokesperson told ABC News.
“[The suspects] returned to the victim’s location and physically assaulted her, inflicting serious injuries. The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived,” the LAPD said in a statement released on Sunday.
Police said the victim is a 61-year-old transgender woman but did not disclose her identity. However, the victim of the alleged attacks — Sabrina de la Peña — came forward in an April 28 interview with ABC Station in Los Angeles, KABC.
De la Peña, a small business owner in the Westlake neighborhood, recounted the alleged April 8 attack. She told KABC she believed that being transgender made her a target.
She said that the first suspect came into her store and attempted to flirt with her but became angry when she turned him away.
“He pushed me down… on the floor and we start fighting on the floor,” she said.
According to an April 28 police statement, “the suspect sexually assaulted the victim and discovered she was a transgender woman. The suspect pulled away and threatened to kill the victim.”
“Subsequently, the same suspect returned to the location multiple times with additional suspects and committed hate crimes against the victim,” police said.
According to police, during one incident the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a skateboard, and on another occasion, he pepper-sprayed her. During a third incident, the suspect allegedly “threw an unknown liquid at the victim while another suspect attempted to stun her with a Taser,” police said.
De la Peña said that after the initial incident on April 8, the suspect allegedly returned the next day with another man and beat her with a skateboard.
“He take me to the alley, out my door…and he beating me,” she told KABC. “I think he hate transgender women because he tell me many times… ‘I’m gonna kill you.'”
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the three alleged suspects and urging people to review the photos and share any tips with LAPD Rampart Division Detectives at (213) 484-3495.
