Well, that escalated quickly. Dangerous storms this afternoon left a swath of destruction in their wake. So much damage in Plainfield that the mayor issued a state of emergency. And because of that, the fireworks and parade that were scheduled for tomorrow have been canceled.

Thunderstorm winds reached over 60 mph in some locations in the state. As of this update, over 44,000 customers in New Jersey are without power. Most of which are in the PSE&G footprint.

Skies are clearing through the overnight hours. Temperatures are dropping, and the humidity will be falling off dramatically, setting the stage for a stunner of a holiday forecast that lasts through the weekend. This will be only the fifth week since March 1 that has not had rain in it. I think it is just the second weekend that has sun on both Saturday and Sunday in the forecast.

Tonight: Storms pass, skies clear and humidity starts to lower. Lows around 67.

Friday: Picture perfect for Independence Day. Sunny, warm and summery - with little in the way of humidity: Highs around 87.

Saturday: Mainly sunny. High of 86.

Sunday: Still sunny but the winds change, bringing more humidity and warmer temperatures.