Central Wyoming Fourth of July Forecast Predicts Thunder & Lightning

Today and tomorrow will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to Central Wyoming.

The main concerns will be heavy rain, strong gusty winds, and small hail.

Temps will be hot with highs in the 90s.

By the weekend the chance of rain subsides slightly, dropping to 20% on Saturday.

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In the United States, lightning strikes kill approximately 20 people per year. Hundreds more are injured, some suffering lifelong neurological damage. While the number of fatalities has decreased in recent years, it's still a significant cause of weather-related deaths.

Lightning can occur during any time of the year, but most lightning deaths occur during summer, especially during July. This per the CDC.

The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, though, and almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive. The odds of being struck multiple times is even less, with the record being seven times in one lifetime.

Lightning most often strikes people who engage in outdoor recreational activities or work outside. From 2006 through 2021, leisure activities such as fishing, boating, playing sports, and relaxing at the beach accounted for almost two-thirds of lightning deaths.

Work-related activities contribute to about 18% of total lightning fatalities, with farmers and ranchers at highest risk. Most work-related lightning strikes are among males.