Break out the fans, the ice, and the kiddie pools...heatwave midwest USA (headed east)

[Removed #1]

Link Here

(Reuters) - An oppressive and potentially deadly summertime mix of sizzling temperatures and high humidity baked a large swath of the country again on Sunday, pushing afternoon heat indexes in dozens of cities to dangerous levels.

Forecasters warned the heatwave would persist through much of the coming week and cautioned residents in more than three dozen states to take extra precautions.

The National Weather Service posted excessive heat warnings for much of the country's midsection, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, as well as South and North Dakota, where forecasters predicted heat indexes could hit 115 degrees.

"This will likely be the most significant heat wave the region has experienced in at least the last five years," the weather service said.

Cities especially hard hit by the heat included Rapid City, South Dakota, Springfield, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where AccuWeather.com meteorologists were predicting long-standing high-temperature records would fall this week.

Kristina Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, predicted the heatwave will affect more than 40 states.

All the states will see temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, she said, and "a large number of them will bake above 100 degrees for days on end."

The scorching weather is the latest in a series of meteorological problems to best the Midwest in recent months.

The list includes the devastating tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri in late May, killing nearly 160 people and destroying more than 8,000 homes and other structures, as well as the ongoing flooding along the Missouri River, which has triggered weeks of evacuations and other emergency measures from Montana through Missouri.

While the heat wave is currently focused on the High Plains and Mississippi Valley, it is expected to press east by the middle of the week, the weather service said.

In Chicago, where high heat and humidity warnings were twinned with an alert for poor air quality, temperatures were expected to hit 95 degrees in the afternoon, creating heat indexes as high as 105.

In Minnesota, the heat wave was expected to continue through Wednesday with possible thunderstorms in some parts. Highs in the Twin Cities area could reach 94 degrees on Sunday, and 97 degrees from Monday through Wednesday.

The weather service is projecting possibly six consecutive days of temperatures at 90 degrees or higher in the Twin Cities, the longest stretch to far this year, but short of records, meteorologist Jim Richardson said.

"Basically, today through Wednesday looks to be the warmest regime and humidity levels up there as well," Richardson said.

By mid week many locations on the east coast will have heat index values approaching or exceeding 100 degrees, including Washington D.C., the weather service said.

In St. Louis, temperatures are expected to reach 96 degrees on Sunday, 98 on Monday and touch the 100 degree mark on Tuesday. The heat index values are expected to range from 105 to 115 degrees.

In the Kansas City area, heat index values are expected to range from 105 to 110 degrees on Sunday and then average about 110 degrees through Friday with oppressive heat and humidity.

Feeling sad that all our east coasters aren't getting to share in the fun of melting? Don't worry as of today they should start to enjoy the awesome of speculating about whether or not you CAN fry an egg on the sidewalk...

Here we're not as bad as perhaps MN or IL...but we've also got the breeze off the lake to help out...that said...we'e also got the lake to give us hoooorrible humidity...good luck staying cool all!!!!

[elenamarie]

Oh no, you can keep that there, thank you! Late last week and early this week we had three days of 85 degrees with 40% humidity, it was pure HEAVEN.

[Removed #5]

While the raw temps don't phase me at all, they're normal for us, the humidity is the real killer (literally and figuratively!)

We hit 95+ most days up to 110 but with humidity in the low 20% and lower it's really quite tolerable.

Y'all take care of yourselves and watch the pooch's who need us to take care of them when it gets this hot!

[elenamarie]

While the raw temps don't phase me at all, they're normal for us, the humidity is the real killer (literally and figuratively!)

We hit 95+ most days up to 110 but with humidity in the low 20% and lower it's really quite tolerable.

Y'all take care of yourselves and watch the pooch's who need us to take care of them when it gets this hot!

Sarah is hiding in the house, near an AC vent, with me. When she goes out to potty she hustles herself back inside without dallying or complaint.

[Removed #1]

annnnd it's after 5 in the evening...bah

[aronoiiel]

This totally sucks I feel so bad for the rest of the country we're stuck in the blasted 60's and mostly freaking rain all summer here. I shouldn't complain but seriously this is insane we've had a grand total of 78 minutes of official summer; which is temps over 80 degrees. I'd happily ship some cooler weather your way if it was at all possible god knows we've got enough to go around

[elenamarie]

[elenamarie]

This totally sucks I feel so bad for the rest of the country we're stuck in the blasted 60's and mostly freaking rain all summer here. I shouldn't complain but seriously this is insane we've had a grand total of 78 minutes of official summer; which is temps over 80 degrees. I'd happily ship some cooler weather your way if it was at all possible god knows we've got enough to go around

I was in Seattle last October and the weather was so nice! VERY wet, but when the sun finally came out it was great. If you could shoo some of that to the southeast Sarah and I would really appreciate it!

[Kirbysowner]

I live in a valley area of cali. everywhere around is 85, and here is 100....we were passed 100 two weeks ago, now we're on the mid 90s'. I should move to siberia, I love the cold

[elenamarie]

I live in a valley area of cali. everywhere around is 85, and here is 100....we were passed 100 two weeks ago, now we're on the mid 90s'. I should move to siberia, I love the cold

Can't you take a day trip into the mountains and catch a break? I can't remember the name of the gold rush town not too far from you. . ..

I do miss Colorado, up in Summit County we were whining if it topped 80 degrees. . ..

[Kirbysowner]

we could. there's a place 3 hours away from here that still has lots of snow. but unexpected expenses just kill us sometimes

[elenamarie]

we could. there's a place 3 hours away from here that still has lots of snow. but unexpected expenses just kill us sometimes

Yeah, I can relate to that. . ..

[Removed #5]

Oh, me! It's only 102f here now at 18:14 but we're beginning to cool off. The humidity had been a little high at 21% but we had a small shower go through earlier.

[aronoiiel]

I was in Seattle last October and the weather was so nice! VERY wet, but when the sun finally came out it was great. If you could shoo some of that to the southeast Sarah and I would really appreciate it!

LOL awww I feel so bad for you guys I've been trying to shoo it your way for some days now I'll get all my friends and family here on it as well hopefully we'll be able to send some relief

[elenamarie]

Oh, me! It's only 102f here now at 18:14 but we're beginning to cool off. The humidity had been a little high at 21% but we had a small shower go through earlier.

Twenty-one percent humidity is a pipe dream around here.

[elenamarie]

LOL awww I feel so bad for you guys I've been trying to shoo it your way for some days now I'll get all my friends and family here on it as well hopefully we'll be able to send some relief

And I'll be sure to shoo some heat and sun your way.

[Removed #5]

Twenty-one percent humidity is a pipe dream around here.

That lack of humidity is the only thing that makes the temps bearable. Our weather is similar to Phoenix without all the people!

Seriously, you all *do* have my sympathy! I cannot handle the humidity!

[sutsibe]

Yeah, the humidity is horrible! It's still 96 F here in Iowa at 6:45! Humidity is around 49%, according to my local news station, which has been fairly typical of the area since Sunday. Dewpoints have been in the upper 70s and low 80s, and heat indices have been between 110 and around 118. I'm tired of this! Poor Shad (my 14 year old, who isn't doing particularly well anyway) just wilts when he has to go out to pee!

[Removed #2]

In Minnesota, the heat wave was expected to continue through Wednesday with possible thunderstorms in some parts. Highs in the Twin Cities area could reach 94 degrees on Sunday, and 97 degrees from Monday through Wednesday.

Don't believe it....feels like 120 with humidity. Andy won't go off the deck and even Jack just runs out to pee and runs back in. On the bright side, all of Andy's belly hair is now coming out in handfulls, but he grumps at us when we try to pluck him and doesn't like to be brushed. So instead, it lays on our bed!!!!

[26nikita]

Illinois heat wave warning

... EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT SATURDAY...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT SATURDAY.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 110 TO 115 DEGREES WILL OCCUR FROM LATE THURSDAY MORNING INTO EARLY EVENING... OVER ALL OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS... AS HIGH TEMPERATURES REACH CLOSE TO 100 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY BE A FEW DEGREES LOWER FRIDAY AND SATURDAY... BUT PEAK HEAT INDEX VALUES BOTH DAYS WILL STILL BE FROM 105 TO 110 DEGREES. INDICATIONS ARE THAT AREAS SOUTH OF I-72 MAY POTENTIALLY SEE THESE CONDITIONS LINGER INTO SUNDAY AS WELL.

* THE IMPACTS OF HEAT STRESS ARE CUMULATIVE... AND INCREASE EACH DAY THE HEAT WAVE LASTS. ANYONE SPENDING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF TIME OUTDOORS... OR INVOLVED IN STRENUOUS ACTIVITY... WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING HEAT ILLNESSES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT WEATHER WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY FOR THOSE OUTDOORS OR IN LOCATIONS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS TO REDUCE RISKS DURING OUTDOOR WORK. RESCHEDULE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING IF POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER... EVEN IF YOU DO NOT FEEL THIRSTY. SCHEDULE FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED AREAS. CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS... ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY AND THOSE IN POOR HEALTH. CHILDREN AND PETS SHOULD NEVER BE LEFT UNATTENDED IN VEHICLES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. IN THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS... CAR INTERIORS CAN REACH LETHAL TEMPERATURES IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS A LIFE THREATENING MEDICAL EMERGENCY... CALL 9 1 1.

[Elyse]

Wow. And I thought the heatwave we're getting bad is horrible! (35 C on most days. But with humidity it can feel up to 40-47 C)

[Removed #1]

Yeah...they cancelled soccer for the kids today...it's currently 9:45ish pm

It's still 88 degrees out...the computer says it feels like 94...our low tonight is suppposed to be 76 around 0400...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 320 PM CDT WED JUL 20 2011 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-211100- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE- WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET- MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- 320 PM CDT WED JUL 20 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT DANGEROUSLY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS EVENING. THE RISK OF STORMS WILL SPREAD SOUTHEAST DURING THE NIGHT. ALTHOUGH IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT STORMS WILL DEVELOP...ANY STORMS THAT FORM COULD PRODUCE STRONG WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HOT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AGAIN THURSDAY...BUT IT WILL NOT BE QUITE AS HOT AS TODAY. HUMIDITIES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BE LOWER. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THURDAY NIGHT...THEN ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE WHEN AND WHERE SEVERE WEATHER COULD OCCUR...HOWEVER IF A COMPLEX OF STORMS CAN ORGANIZE AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA...HEAVY RAIN... DAMAGING WINDS...AND HAIL WOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY FOR NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

If we lived further south I'd be worried about tornadoes...but there hasn't been one here in like over a hundred and fifty years

Again if you're in the midwest stay cool..keep your furbabies cool and be careful.

Helpful threads on Husky-Owners (not all of them I know...the search function is great though!!!):

How to keep a dog cool in hot weather

Dogs in Hot Weather

The information below can be found on webmd...

The most common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion in people include:

• 
  
  
• confusion
  
  
• dark-colored urine (which indicates dehydration)
  
  
• dizziness
  
  
• fainting
  
  
• fatigue
  
  
• headache
  
  
• muscle cramps
  
  
• nausea
  
  
• pale skin
  
  
• profuse sweating
  
  

rapid heartbeat

Treatment for Heat Exhaustion

If you or anyone else has symptoms of heat exhaustion, it's essential to immediately get out of the heat and rest, preferably in an air-conditioned environment. If you can't get inside, try to find the nearest cool and shady place.

Other recommended strategies include:

• 
  
  
• Drink plenty of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages.
  
  
• Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing.
  
  
• Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.
  
  
• Apply other active cooling measures such as fans or ice towels.
  
  

If such measures fail to provide relief within 30 minutes, contact a doctor because untreated heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke.

After you've recovered from heat exhaustion, you'll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it's best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it's safe to resume your normal activities

Emergency First Aid for Heatstroke - Topic Overview

Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature and body temperature continues to rise, often to 105°F (40.6°C) or higher. Signs of rapidly progressing heatstroke include:

• 
  
  
• Unconsciousness for longer than a few seconds.
  
  
• Convulsion (seizure).
  
  
• Signs of moderate to severe difficulty breathing.
  
  
• A rectal temperature over 104°F (40°C) after exposure to a hot environment.
  
  
• Confusion, severe restlessness, or anxiety.
  
  
• Fast heart rate.
  
  
• Sweating that may be heavy or may have stopped.
  
  
• Skin that may be red, hot, and dry, even in the armpits.
  
  
• Severe vomiting and diarrhea.
  
  

Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Even with immediate treatment, it can be life-threatening or result in serious, long-term complications. After calling 911 or other emergency medical services, follow these first aid steps.

• 
  
  
• Move the person into a cool place, out of direct sunlight.
  
  
• Remove the person's unnecessary clothing, and place the person on his or her side to expose as much skin surface to the air as possible.
  
  
• Cool the person's entire body by sponging or spraying cool-not cold-water, and fan the person to lower the body temperature. Watch for signs of rapidly progressing heatstroke (below).
  
  
• Apply ice packs to the groin, neck, and armpits, where large blood vessels lie close to the skin surface. Do not immerse the person in an ice bath.
  
  
• Check the person's rectal temperature frequently, and try to reduce it to 102°F (39°C) or lower as soon as possible. The longer the body is at a high temperature, the more serious the illness and the more likely it is that complications will develop. Temperatures taken by mouth or in the ear are not accurate in this emergency situation.
  
  
• If a child has stopped breathing, begin rescue breathing.
  
  
• Do not give aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce a high body temperature that can occur with heatstroke. These medicines may cause problems because of the body's response to heatstroke.
  
  
• If the person is awake and alert enough to swallow, give the person fluids [32 fl oz (1 L) to 64 fl oz (2 L) over 1 to 2 hours] for hydration. Most people with heatstroke have an altered level of consciousness and cannot safely be given fluids to drink. You may have to help. Make sure the person is sitting up enough so that he or she does not choke.
  
  

[Laine]

We've had more rain than sun here, only a handful of days really hot although Monday was unbearably so. Thankfully we live by the water and our area has winds almost every day, even if light so it eases some of the heat.

[Removed #5]

This is where I really get everyone P'd at me; it's now 77 (02:00) and before the nights over we'll be well into the low 70's, cool enough I grab a blanket to keep the breeze off. 'course the humidity does go up at night, it's about 40% now but won't go much higher before sunrise -- anyone wanna ask me why I love living in the desert!!

Seriously, a 30-45f degree swing between night and day isn't unusual!

Take care y'all!

[Removed #1]

This is where I really get everyone P'd at me; it's now 77 (02:00) and before the nights over we'll be well into the low 70's, cool enough I grab a blanket to keep the breeze off. 'course the humidity does go up at night, it's about 40% now but won't go much higher before sunrise -- anyone wanna ask me why I love living in the desert!!

Seriously, a 30-45f degree swing between night and day isn't unusual!

Take care y'all!

I grew up in the mojave desert...it's still close to eighty here at almost 0500...days like yesterday and today I miss the searing heat and the cold nights...