This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Yeah, hot as the proverbial firecracker on the Fourth July. There's your extended holiday weekend forecast, Utah.

High temperatures on Independence Day Eve will hit 100 along the Wasatch Front, while southern Utah's redrock deserts and high plains will bake into 106-degree territory. Saturday's thermometers will mark family gatherings, picnics and barbecues with just slightly cooler temperatures: upper-90s in northern Utah, and 104 in Utah's Dixie.

By the way, if you are laying out a family feast consisting of various grilled meats and seafood, pasta or potato salads, that heat can be a worrisome factor beyond mere perspiration — lack of care could see your holiday not only rumble with aerial fireworks, but ignite some unwelcome gastrointestinal pyrotechnics.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety has some suggestions for enjoying the former are offered here: http://www.fireworkssafety.org. As for the latter, some tips on avoiding culinary disaster can be found here: http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Picnic_Food_Safety.

There will be some late-evening thunderstorm and scattered rainfall July 4 along the Wasatch Front Saturday; the same breezy nighttime potential for wet relief was to cycle through southern Utah Friday.

The Utah Division of Air Quality issued air action alerts for the urban valleys of Salt Lake, Weber, Davis and Utah counties, rating those districts as "orange," or unhealthy. Washington County got a "yellow," or moderate grade; the remainder of the state had "green"ratings through the weekend.

The Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website listed cattail pollen as "very high," mold and grass pollen as "high"and Linden tree pollen as "moderate" as of Thursday.

For for extensive forecast information, visit the Tribune's weather page at: http://sltrib.com/weather/.

Twitter: @remims