With the potential for rain Tuesday and Wednesday, Warren County officials are taking a wait-and-see approach before matching Friday’s burn ban instituted by the City of Vicksburg Fire Department, though the city’s annual July 4 fireworks display is still on tap.

“The next couple of days will tell the story,” said Kelly Worthy, coordinator for the Warren County volunteer fire departments. “Hopefully, we won’t have to.”

Worthy would make a recommendation to the Warren County Board of Supervisors, who would in turn ask the Mississippi Forestry Commission to institute a ban.

“There is some significant rainfall in the forecast,” said Richard George, president of the county board. “We will have to see if it materializes or not.”

The city’s burn ban will remain in effect until further notice, said VFD fire investigator Leslie Sanders. Enough rain has to fall to saturate the ground and wet vegetation, she said — at least 1 to 2 inches.

“We’re just extremely dry right now,” she said today.

The National Weather Service forecasts a 20 percent chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms this evening.

Tuesday’s prediction calls for about a 40 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

An additional inch of rain could fall with showers and thunderstorms forecast Tuesday night into Wednesday.

City recreation director Joe Graves said today the July 4 city fireworks display is still planned. Thousands attend the annual celebration to watch the display of colorful pyrotechnics shot from a barge on the Yazoo Diversion Canal near City Front.

In Warren County outside the city, temporary tents and stands are gearing up for sales of smaller fireworks to residents.

Worthy said the county does not have the option of banning fireworks, but that if a burn ban is instituted, it becomes illegal to start a fire with them.

Sanders said the city could expand its ban to include the ignition of fireworks.

“We’ll be watching the weather as we near July 4,” Sanders said. “When we get closer to that time we will make the decision whether we will have to put a ban on the fireworks or not.”

No rain has fallen locally since June 7 — and that measured at less than .01 inch, the National Weather Service reported.

Temperatures over the past week have neared or equalled historic highs. Saturday’s high of 99 matched the 1953 record, while the thermometer Sunday hit 95, slightly lower than the record of 99 set before 1885.

The prediction for today is a high of 94 with south-southwest breezes around 15 mph, but the NWS predicts the heat index could reach 104. Tonight’s lows will be in the mid-70s.

The record high for June 20 is 100, set in 1936.

A chance of showers continues through the latter part of the week into the weekend, with high temperatures in the mid-90s.