July 4 will be hot (weather) and heavy (traffic)

YAKIMA, Wash. -- There'll be more to this Fourth of July weekend than fireworks, barbecues and watermelon; expect sweltering temperatures, traffic delays and high gas prices.

Interstate 90 will be jammed as thousands of Puget Sound area motorists once again head over Snoqualmie Pass for Eastern Washington, only to return a few days later

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s. And everyone is bracing for increased gas prices.

State Department of Transportation officials are urging motorists to view its Web site, www.wsdot.wa.gov, before heading over mountain passes if they want to avoid heavy traffic.

Usually the bulk of traffic heads east starting Friday night with the reverse on Sunday, said DOT spokesman Mike Westbay.

"So, if people don't want to be delayed, they should look at those graphs (online) and plan accordingly," he said.

In Yakima, there will be some delays as well, he said.

Interstate 82 exits to Nob Hill Boulevard and State Route 24 will be closed at 9:45 p.m. Saturday during the fireworks display at State Fair Park.

"That becomes a very congested area," he said. "We don't let people get off the highway there or let them use 18th Street around the fairgrounds."

In Naches, Transportation Department officials are urging those visiting Clemens View Park and Sports Complex along U.S. Highway 12 on Friday for a fireworks display to park in the adjacent parking lot.

In the past, people have been parking along U.S. Highway 12 and at Allen Road, and crossing the highway to get to the park, Westbay said.

"Which is really dangerous," he said. The speed limit on that highway is 60 mph."

Meanwhile, temperatures are expected reach 96 degrees on Friday and 93 degrees on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Ore.

High temperatures are expected to dip to 90 on Sunday with increasing clouds and a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, the weather service said.

Increasing gas prices since Memorial Day are expected to reduce the number of state drivers by 2.6 percent this year, said AAA Travel spokeswoman Cassie Devaney in Spokane.

The national average cost of gallon of gas rose from $2.43 the day after Memorial Day to $2.63 now, she said. In Yakima, the average price of gas per gallon is $2.98, compared with $4.27 a gallon last year at this time.

"While gas prices are much lower than they were last year at this time, the rise in gas prices since Memorial Day isn't boosting consumer confidence," she said.

* From parades and fireworks to concerts and wine tastings, a complete list of Fourth of July weekend events across the Yakima Valley can be found in Friday's edition of On Magazine.