Weather map

An unusually hot late Summer heat wave is poised to hit the region this week as a warm air mass associated with a high pressure system that has been trapped in the southwest slowly begins to push eastward in our area. This feature will keep all chances for rain out of the region bring us continued sunny skies but with temperatures and humidity heating up significantly. Highs region wide will be in the 90s, with the corridor of the hottest weather being located mainly west of the Mississippi River where cities such as Minneapolis, Des Monies and Kanasas City all have the very real chance to see triple digit highs. Record highs could be reached in some areas. The high pressure system will keep the region dry through next weekend.

Unfortunately there is no rain

For the local area we can expected that heat wave that I’ve talked about last week to finally make its way into our area. The high pressure system will bring a string of several sunny days in a row, each afternoon being very hot and very humid. Temperatures will range from the low to mid 90s from this Sunday through the work week to at least Saturday. A few of those days will have the chance to be 100 or close to it. Even if actual highs do not reach 100, heat index values will be 100-105 So cautions should be taken and residents should take typical precautions to beat the heat. At this point I feel the hottest days will be Monday and Tuesday when all areas of Eastern Iowa will be at least in the middle 90s. Hotter areas, river valleys and heat island effected locations such as Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Davenport could hit 100.F. Due to high dewpoints, Low temperatures will not provide much realife and in fact a couple of nights will not have lows our of the middle 70s.

Droughts will worsen across the area

Forecast for Eastern Iowa:

Sunday, Hot! and Humid, Sunny skies with highs in the low to mid 90s. Heat index values 99-100 Sunday Night, Clear skies, Warm and humid. Lows in the lower 70s

Monday, Sunny skies Very Hot! and humid, highs in the mid to upper 90s, heat index values 99-105 Monday night, Clear skies, Warm and humid, Partly cloudy skies with lows in the mid 70s.

Tuesday, Sunny skies Very Hot! and humid, highs in the upper 90s to 100. Heat index values 99-105. Tuesday Night, Clear skies, Very warm and humid, lows in the mid to upper 70s.

Wednesday, Sunny skies, Hot! and humid. Highs in the middle 90s. Heat index values near 100. Wednesday Night, Clear Skies, lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s

Thursday-Sunday Hot! and humid. Sunny  skies, highs ranging from the upper 80s to mid 90s. Thursday-Sunday nights.

Long range forecast

The long range charts do show temperatures slowly going on a downward trend after next Sunday the 1st, but do not show a substantial cool down until Friday September 6th when a cold front from Canada brings much cooler air with lower humidity with highs cooling to the 70s. This front will bring our next good chance for rain in the thunderstorms and proably the risk for severe weather with it as well. Towards the middle of the month of September the models show heat and humidity trying to rebuild. Unfortunately besides a few chances for rain, I do not really see any chances for widespread soaking rains, which will expand and worsen the drought in areas that do not receive much rain.