Heat Wave Continues...

Debris clouds from overnight thunderstorms over northern Wisconsin kept temperatures in the 80s this morning. An outflow boundary from that convection moved through the area around mid-morning, dropping the temperature from 88 to 81 degrees, and dropping the dewpoint temperature from the lower 70s to the lower 60s. This was a very brief respite, however, as skies became partly sunny by afternoon and the heat and humidity increased. The high temperature today reached 97 degrees, while dewpoints topped out in the lower 70s. Tomorrow should be similar. Thunderstorms have not been able to develop over western Minnesota tonight, which could be important for tomorrow's high temperatures. If these storms manage to get going overnight, they will likely move toward northern Wisconsin, and the debris cloudiness from them could keep skies mostly cloudy here tomorrow morning, just like today. If these storms don't develop, it should be mostly sunny all day tomorrow, and temperatures could be a few degrees higher than today. Highs for the next three days are expected to be in the upper 90s, but some 100-degree readings are possible all three days. Currently, it looks as if Monday will be the warmest day. Dewpoints will increase into the middle 70s, creating heat indices of 105 to 115 degrees. A heat advisory goes into effect at noon tomorrow, and will last through Tuesday evening.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
949 PM CDT SAT JUL 29 2006

...HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS EXPECTED FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY...

.A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AND REMAIN IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS HIGH WILL BRING MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO THE AREA FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY. THIS HUMID AIR WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPERATURES TO COOL OFF AT NIGHT...THUS THERE WILL BE LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE EXCESSIVE HEAT.

FROM SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM 95 TO 105 DEGREES. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS IN THE 70S WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDICES IN THE 105 TO
115 DEGREE RANGE. A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA COULD SEE HEAT INDICES AS HIGH AS 120 MONDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...THE HIGH DEW POINTS WILL KEEP LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 70S AT NIGHT. THIS WILL PROVIDE LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE HEAT.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. ALSO MAKE SURE PETS AND LIVESTOCK ARE KEPT COOL AND HAVE PLENTY OF AVAILABLE WATER.