HEAT, RELIEF, AND MORE HEAT....
The heat was no joke on Friday across the Midwest. Temperatures weren't record breaking, but they were well above normal.
It wasn't the temperatures, but it was the humidity that really made the difference. Dew points, which measure the moisture in the atmosphere, were well into the 70s.
The combination of the very warm temperatures and very high humidity made for dangerous heat index values.
Yiiikes! And the heat rolls on into the start of the weekend.
Expected high temperatures:
And heat indices:
The heat comes ahead of a cold front that will move in Saturday night and bring showers and thunderstorms to the Midwest... and bring some relief. Because of the hot temperatures and high humidity, there will be plenty of instability and moisture around for storms. CAPE (convective available potential energy) values will be in the 3000-5000 J/kg range.
As a result some storms could be strong...
Some strong winds will be possible as the front moves through Saturday night into Sunday. Some heavy rain will be possible as well. This is the hi-resolution NAM, which is one of the more aggressive models.
Storms will be likely Saturday evening and then scattered through the day Sunday. The rain will hold down temperatures Sunday afternoon.
This will be a one day reprieve as the heat and humidity get cranked back up to start July.
Above normal temperatures are expected through July 9th and likely beyond.
It's summer!
RK
