Stormy to steamy: Heat warning through Friday
On what may be the hottest day of the year for many Minnesotans, tens of thousands will endure our blistering heat wave without power and AC thanks to this morning's severe storms.
An excessive heat warning remains in effect through Friday across most of Minnesota. Heat index values will reach 100 to 115 late this afternoon across a big chunk of Minnesota.
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
438 AM CDT THU JUL 21 2016
...DANGEROUS HEAT WAVE CONTINUES...
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MADISON...MONTEVIDEO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...ST PAUL...STILLWATER...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...HASTINGS...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...ST JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA...RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...DURAND
438 AM CDT THU JUL 21 2016
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT FRIDAY...
* TEMPERATURES: HIGHS WELL INTO THE 90S AND LOWS IN THE MID 70S.
* DEW POINTS: MID 70S TO LOWER 80S.
* HEAT INDICES: 105 TO 115 DEGREES.
* IMPACTS: A HEIGHTENED RISK OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESS...ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ACTIVE OUTDOORS OR FOR THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
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Need to find a place to beat the heat? Here are some good heat-reacted resources from the Twin Cities NWS.
Cooling Centers in the Twin Cities:
Hennepin County including Minneapolis: http://www.hennepin.us/residents/health-medical/cooling-centers
City of Bloomington: https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/air-conditioned-public-spaces
City of St. Paul: https://www.stpaul.gov/news/july-heat-safety-tips
Ramsey County: https://www.ramseycounty.us/content/ramsey-county-under-excessive-heat-warning-july-20-22
Anoka County (Coon Rapids): http://salvationarmynorth.org/2016/07/twin-cities-locations-open-as-cooling-centers-this-week/
Heat Wave History for the Twin Cities:
The most recent 100 degree day was on July 4th and 6th of 2012.
The record high temperature is 108 degrees, measured on July 14, 1936.
The record dew point is 82 degrees, recorded on July 19, 2011.
The record heat index is 119, which occurred on July 19, 2011.
Additional heat wave information is available on the Minnesota State Climatology Office website.
Jungle dew points
Miami? Guam? Dew points hit 80 degrees at some southern Minnesota locations Wednesday afternoon. I saw a peak dew point of 77 degrees Wednesday evening at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Taking a walk outside felt like swimming -- without lakes.
Seventy-seven degrees is the highest dew point reading in three years at MSP by my count. We may do better (worse) than that later today or tonight.
Here's are the highest annual dew point readings since 2003 from the Minnesota Climatology Working Group.
Maximum Observed Dew Point Temperatures for the Twin Cities in Recent Years
2003 77 degrees F
2004 75 degrees F
2005 81 degrees F
2006 76 degrees F
2007 78 degrees F
2008 73 degrees F
2009 75 degrees F
2010 79 degrees F
2011 82 degrees F
2012 77 degrees F
2013 77 degrees F
2014 76 degrees F
2015 76 degrees F
Weekend relief
The heat and jungle-like humidity gradually ease this weekend. Saturday will still feel muggy and brings scattered thunderstorms. By Sunday, you'll notice the dew points mercifully dropping from the upper 60s into the upper 50s by Sunday night. Temperatures fall into the 80s into next week.
Stay cool Minnesota.