15 JULY 2010 EXTENDED FORECAST

15 JULY 2010 EXTENDED FORECAST

TODAY AND FRIDAY 15TH/16TH - MOSTLY CLOUDY TO PARTLY CLOUDY - TEMPS 88/90

SATURDAY 17TH - HOT/HUMID - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS OVERNITE - TEMP 92

SUNDAY AND MONDAY 18TH/19TH - HOT/HUMID - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH ISOLATED TSHOWERS - TEMPS NEAR 90 - HEAT INDEX NEAR 105F

TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY 20TH THRU 24TH - HOT/HUMID - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS - LOW/MID 90'S - HEAT INDEX 100/105F

WEEK OF SUNDAY THE 25TH - VERY HOT AND HUMID WITH HIGH TEMPS STEADY IN MID/HIGH 90'S THRU THURSDAY - DAILY HEAT INDEX WILL RANGE FROM 100 - 110F - EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY COOLING TEMPS BACK DOWN TO THE MID/HIGH 80'S AND HEAT INDEX'S BACK BELOW 90.................

YESTERDAY WAS A RARE SITUATION.....THE HEAT INDEX REACHED 113F IN GRINNELL.....THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WE MIGHT SEE ONE OR TWO TIMES A YEAR. LAST YEAR, WE NEVER SAW IT ALL......WE'RE LOOKING AT A HOT AND HUMID TIME AHEAD.

THE BIG STORY THUS FAR THIS SPRING AND SUMMER HAS BEEN THE RECORD/NEAR RECORD RAINFALL WE HERE IN THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING - THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE.........OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS (AND PROBABLY BEYOND), THE "BIG STORY" IS GOING TO CHANGE TO HEAT RELATED STORIES FROM EAST OF THE ROCKIES TO THE EAST COAST.......TEMP-WISE? THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. LOOK AT THE TEMP FORECAST ABOVE - IT'S JUST A PRECURSER OF WHAT I BELIEVE COULD BE RECORD, OR NEAR RECORD BREAKING HEAT OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY - AUGUST HAS A GOOD SHOT AT GOING DOWN AS ONE THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF AUGUST ON RECORD.......

THIS IS WHAT I POSTED YESTERDAY:

THE LARGE-SCALE HEAT IN ASIA THAT HAS BEEN BAKING THEM IS LIABLE TO SHOW ITSELF FOR MUCH OF THE U.S. FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER. IF YOU GUYS LIKE THE HEAT, THEN THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR SUMMER TO HANG OUTSIDE WELL INTO SEPTEMBER. IT HAS BEEN A BAKING START FOR A LOT OF THE COUNTRY. THIS LOOKS LIKE A CLASSIC ARC OF HEAT SETTING UP THAT WILL CENTER ITSELF MORE OVER THE CENTRAL PART OF THE NATION BUT WILL HAVE FINGERS OF FIRE IN ALL DIRECTIONS STICKING OUT SO THAT MUCH OF THE NATION IS GOING TO BROIL NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND. NORMAL HIGHS FOR THE MONTH OF JULY IN DES MOINES HOVERS RIGHT AROUND THE 85F MARK. WE’RE GOING TO BE BEYOND THAT FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH………

THE SYSTEM WORKING IT’S WAY THRU THE MIDWEST TODAY AND TONITE WILL GIVE US A SHORT REPRIEVE TOMORROW WITH TEMPS IN THE MID 80’S – BEYOND THAT, HIGH TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM THE HIGH 80’S TO MID 90’S FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. IT LOOKS LIKE AROUND THE 21ST OR 22ND WILL BE MISSERABLE WITH TEMPS IN THE MID TO HIGH 90’S, WITH A HEAT INDEX PUSHING 110/112F……THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER QUICK COOL DOWN TO THE MID 80’S – THEN FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SURGE OF HEAT…….

WILL WE SEE 100 DEGREES? MY BET - SOMEBODY IN POW COUNTY WILL………..