In Charlotte, the Fourth of July will break the heat record and feel like 107
This Fourth of July on Saturday is expected to be the hottest on record in Charlotte, reaching 102 degrees, with enough humidity to make it feel like 106 or 107.
That would beat Charlotte’s last record over the last century of 99 degrees in 1993.
We are not alone. A heatwave across the Midwest and the East is putting more than 165 million people at risk for “major” or “extreme” heat-related health issues, according to The Weather Channel.
Intense, high pressure has formed an atmospheric ridge of thick, hot air that is expected to hover over us the next several days, said Mike Rehnberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Mecklenburg County under air quality alert
Friday, the temperature is expected to reach 101 but feel like about 107.
Mecklenburg County is also under an air quality alert until 10 p.m. Friday night, with ground-level ozone concentrations approaching or exceeding unhealthy standards.
Humidity will make the air feel all the more oppressive.
Our bodies are designed to keep cool by sweating and then having the sweat evaporate.
“That only works if the air is dry enough for your sweat to dry up and evaporate,” Rehnberg said. “So when you get this air that is really, really moist, your sweat can’t evaporate which means that it can’t cool your body off.”
That’s why 102 degrees in a desert climate may feel more bearable than 102 degrees here.
This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
