Weather Headlines
- NEXT 9 HOURS: Isolated shower not ruled out
- SHORT TERM: Storm chance and hot
- LONG TERM: Active and staying warm
Latest Forecast
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Hot and muggy weather is back.
There is a slim chance for a shower or storm to pop up around the TV9 viewing area, but, like last night, the vast majority of us are likely to miss out. Lows fall into the upper 60s to low 70s.
Parts of the viewing area are included in an Extreme Heat Watch, beginning on Tuesday afternoon and lasting through Thursday evening. This is to highlight the potential for heat that could be dangerous to your health.
Tuesday morning begins with a mix of clouds and some clear skies, with that continuing through the morning. Temperatures will climb, with highs projected to reach the upper 80s to low 90s. Dew points will be quite high, in the mid to upper 70s, and this will contribute to heat index readings near or over 100 during the peak heating hours of the afternoon and evening. This type of heat is likely to repeat on Wednesday, and potentially Thursday.
With this type of heat, you should consider taking a few precautionary steps to help keep yourself safe:
- Don’t overdo it outside with strenuous activity if possible. Try to do outdoor work either early or late, or delay it to a cooler day. Take frequent breaks in the shade or, preferably, air-conditioned spaces.
- Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes to help your body regulate its temperature a little better.
- Drink plenty of fluids, avoiding caffeine or alcohol.
- Don’t leave people or pets in a closed-up car where there is no air conditioning. Always check the back seat, as temperatures inside the vehicle can become deadly in a big hurry.
However, there is a small caveat for Tuesday’s forecast: a disturbance that produced showers and storms in Nebraska and Kansas today has the chance to do the same thing here during the afternoon and evening tomorrow. This is not a certain outcome, and there is a decent chance that no storms occur. If they do, then we will likely fall short of our highest heat expectations, and heat index readings could stay below 100. Some of those storms could be strong, too.
This process will not repeat on Wednesday. Instead, expect mostly sunny skies and the hottest conditions of the week. Thermometer temperatures in the low to mid 90s, combined with upper 70s dew points, will push heat index values to between 100 and 110 for several hours.
A little bit of relief could begin to arrive on Thursday as a frontal boundary moves toward the area. Most of the day will be at least partly sunny and hot, with heat index readings near 100 again. It’s late in the day when showers and storms could return. A few of these could be strong, owing to the amount of energy available for storms to feed on. Rainfall could also be heavy at times.
This begins a period of somewhat more active weather again, with occasional chances for showers and storms on most days through the middle of the following week. Based on current information, it’s not likely to be as wet as the last several days, but stay tuned for more details on when dry time will be found as we get a bit closer…