Unlike some recent rainy Independence Days, those heading to the Esplanade for the Boston Pops and fireworks should be in the clear this Fourth of July.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a warm holiday with rising humidity, but it should be dry in the Boston area.

The agency’s forecast discussion states, “Downright tropical!”

“Right now it’s looking like a pretty good day,” NWS meteorologist Kyle Pederson told the Herald.

High temps during the day are expected to be in the mid-80s, as clouds increase throughout the day. It should get quite humid, however, as dewpoints rise into the upper 60s.

Then during the evening along the Esplanade, temps should be in the 70s.

“It’s going to be cloudy, but the clouds will be high up so it shouldn’t affect the viewing of the fireworks,” Pederson said.

Then on Friday, temps should tick up a bit in the 80s along with even more brutal humidity. Dewpoints are expected to climb into the low 70s.

“It is the type of humidity you can feel,” the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion reads.

Then over the weekend, there will be a risk of rain and thunderstorms but it won’t rain continuously. Heavy rains will be possible.

“Saturday is the best chance for rain and thunderstorms, but the timing and where those happen are uncertain at the moment,” Pederson said.

Saturday will have the highest humidity levels, with dewpoints potentially in the mid-70s.

Boston College hockey forward Ryan Leonard confirmed that he will still be returning to Chestnut Hill for his sophomore season. 

The 2023 Washington Capitals first-round pick discussed his decision during media availability on Wednesday morning and shared that the Caps offered him an entry-level contract after clinching a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

“My whole plan the whole time was two years and then come here, but I had no idea they were actually going to offer me,” said Leonard. “It all happened so fast. I don’t really know if I was completely prepared for it.”

Leonard talked about when he was offered the contract and that he stayed up for most of the night weighing the decision and discussing it with his brother John before coming to a conclusion. 

“It was whatever I wanted to do,” said Leonard. “Made a big spreadsheet, notes, whatever you want to call it. Pros and cons of both, but ultimately, I think I made the right decision.”

The Amherst, Mass., native also said that fellow teammate Will Smith’s decision to sign an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks did not impact his choice.

“No. I’m myself,” said Leonard. “He’s him. You want the best for him, and it’s not about individuals. It’s about the team, and I want to be a part of the team that wins Boston College another national championship. Not really ready to leave yet.”

Leonard had a stellar freshman campaign. In his 41 games played, he tallied 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 points, 168 shot attempts for a .185 percentage, and six game-winning goals. 

The 19-year-old is the second Eagles hockey player to announce his return to Boston College for his sophomore season. Gabe Perreault shared his decision to return during Rangers media availability on Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS — For the first time since 2007, the Indiana Fever have three All-Stars on its roster.

Rookie guard Caitlin Clark, second-year center Aliyah Boston, and seventh-year guard Kelsey Mitchell were named All-Stars on Tuesday night, taking up three of the 12 spots on Team WNBA.

Tamika Catchings, Tammy Sutton-Brown, and Anna DeForge were the last trio of Fever All-Stars in a single season. That 2007 Fever team went 21-13, making the Eastern Conference Finals.

“It’s a really, really big thing for our franchise, but I think more importantly, kind of shows like where we are as players, and what we aspire to be individually,” Mitchell said. “I think any great player, any great competitor has an All-Star somewhere down a list, and you know, we put in a lot of work, so it feels good.”

This year’s All-Star Game, which will be in Phoenix on July 20, is Team USA vs. Team WNBA. Team USA, which will represent the U.S. in the Paris Olympics, will use the All-Star Game as an exhibition.

So, there were technically only 12 open spots to be an All-Star — the other 12 were already taken up with WNBA players on Team USA.

Voting for All-Stars came 50% from fans, 25% from media, and 25% from players, and players on Team USA were able to get votes. The top-10 vote getters automatically became All-Stars, regardless Team USA status. The next 36 top vote-getters that were not on the Olympic team went to league coaches, and they filled out the rest of Team WNBA.

It’s the second consecutive all-star nods for Boston and Mitchell, who went to the 2023 All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Boston thinks it’s especially meaningful for Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick who is an All-Star for the first time.

More: With Clark, Boston, Mitchell, Indiana Fever have three All-Stars for first time since 2007

“I think it just goes to show the talent that we have on this team,” Boston said. “It’s really amazing to be able to play together as an All-Star, but also I think this is really exciting for Caitlin being a rookie coming in and just having an impact the way that she does.”

All three Fever players will be on Team WNBA. Indiana is the only team to more than two players on that team. Las Vegas has four players on the Olympic roster, while Phoenix has three.

“It’s cool, obviously, for myself to accomplish this in my rookie year,” Clark said. “I’m just lucky to be with these two. … It’s big for our franchise, too, like, I think it just shows the talent behind us, and slowly just putting that together. The future’s bright.”