Heat Wave for Central Part of the States

Josh Richardson

Josh Richardson

EF4
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
390
Location
Mason City IA
I figured I would get this started for discussion as it's a pretty good sized event.

Already some interesting readings out there today across W and N IA, S MN, SE SD. Earlier today we had 2 stations in IA reading 99/81 which is a nice balmy 123 degree heat index. I have seen a few other stations through the evening touch 82 and 83 for dewpoints as well. At 23:53 UTC we still had a nice moist reading of 91/81 here at KMCW. These still don't compare to one of the highest readings I ever remember seeing in the area, Onawa IA 101/87, this happened several years ago though and I don't remember which year.

I should note, MODS please feel free to move this to the proper discussion area if there is a better fit than this area.
 
Here's some info that NWS OMAHA posted last week:

HEAT WAVE
Omaha has been like a pot of soup the last few days. It looks like some relief in the form of a cold front is coming to the Dakotas by mid week but it seems that will not last long due to the next upper level low moving over Canada. This should at least help evaporate all of the flooding possibly.
 
300mb shows a pretty strong ridge. Forecast for the next few days shows it holding. One thing about the weather in Iowa that my Dad told me long ago: if you don't like the weather right now - just wait a few hours. Which doesn't look like that will hold up in this circumstance though. Left Storm Lake three weeks ago and back in CA now. It was hot/humid when I left. But nothing like now.
BTW - How are the crops looking?
 
Crops are getting pretty darn tall really quick, especially since the heat rolled in. As far as Andrew's comment about the metrics, I was thinking the same thing but was wondering how many straight days with an 80 degree dewpoint we've ever had. We have hit 81 for a dewpoint 2 days straight now and I don't really ever recall seeing that happen in consecutive days....tomorrow should be 3 days straight.
 
Just thought I would add that several stations in IA are reporting 84 degree dewpoints right now, KORC is sitting at 90/86. That would be the 2nd highest dewpoint I recall seeing(around here) in the last 10 years or so.
 
several stations in IA are reporting 84 degree dewpoints right now,

Egad, that's sticky. Current dewpoint in SPI is 76, and I think 80 degrees is as high as it ever gets.

Supposedly, all the corn growing in the Corn Belt contributes to the extreme humidity. (Not to mention all the soil moisture and lush vegetation left over from the wet spring)

I note also that the amount of U.S. acreage planted in corn this year is the highest in decades. Hmmm....
 
This is about the worst I can remember here in Minneapolis too. I've experienced 83 degree dewpoints and I've experienced 100 degree temps, just not at the same time. This kind of humidity has wrecked havoc when we get rain. On Saturday, here in New Brighton we picked up 2-3 inches of rain in no more than an hour, causing the junction of I694 and I35W to be closed due to standing water. An aparment parking lot down the road from me had its parking lot completely flooed with water up to the top of car windows and the park across the street from those apartments was nearly completely flooded, with the little creek in the park way overflowing its banks (the creek is usually no more than a foot deep). It's been nearly 3 days, and even our lawn hasn't completely dried. When I came in to work at 7:30 am on Sunday, every dang window in the place was fogged up. It's almost suffocatingly humid out there.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Elaine Spencer said:
Supposedly, all the corn growing in the Corn Belt contributes to the extreme humidity. (Not to mention all the soil moisture and lush vegetation left over from the wet spring)

I note also that the amount of U.S. acreage planted in corn this year is the highest in decades. Hmmm....
Click to expand...

All of the crops I've seen while out chasing look really lush and healthy too. I suppose that could be attributed to good biotech, but also If you look at this:
Drought Map
You will see that the only drought conditions are concentrated (in extremes) in the south.
 
Elaine Spencer said:
Supposedly, all the corn growing in the Corn Belt contributes to the extreme humidity. (Not to mention all the soil moisture and lush vegetation left over from the wet spring)
Click to expand...

That's right, it's called evapotranspiration. Every year we go through that late July into August but this stretch here is the most brutal moisture I have ever seen in my life.

Recall earlier, I said we had two straight days where our dew point topped out at 81. Well, last night it never dropped below 78(Td) and now at 8 am this morning we're looking at 79 already. There is no way we don't have an 80 degree dew point for the 3rd day in a row, that's along with temps in the mid 90's of course.

To add to what Dean said, yes I here ya on the rain. I'm sure you saw us down in Northern IA with some decent flooding just from the tail end storms that day producing 5-6 inches of rain in a few hours.
 
Josh Richardson said:
Just thought I would add that several stations in IA are reporting 84 degree dewpoints right now, KORC is sitting at 90/86. That would be the 2nd highest dewpoint I recall seeing(around here) in the last 10 years or so.
Click to expand...

I've seen that before. It happens almost every year, in fact, but it is rare. It's usually not accompanied with temperatures in the upper 90s, either. I can't find specific data and I don't think it's really even tracked, but you can look through the IEM to see other days with very high dewpoint values. But I can think of July 14th 2010 and June 23rd 2009 in Ames as specific days with extreme heat/humidity values.

ADD: here are some examples I can come up with:
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2010-07-16
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/news.phtml?q=extreme+dewpoints
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2009-06-24
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2010-08-13
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2009-07-02
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jeff Duda said:
I've seen that before. It happens almost every year, in fact, but it is rare. It's usually not accompanied with temperatures in the upper 90s, either. I can't find specific data and I don't think it's really even tracked, but you can look through the IEM to see other days with very high dewpoint values. But I can think of July 14th 2010 and June 23rd 2009 in Ames as specific days with extreme heat/humidity values.

ADD: here are some examples I can come up with:
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2010-07-16
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/news.phtml?q=extreme+dewpoints
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2009-06-24
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2010-08-13
http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/onsite/features/cat.php?day=2009-07-02
Click to expand...

Exactly, these 80 degree dew points are generally happening at night once the actual temp is dropping to or below 90, as the night goes on the T/Td spread get less and less. I think I remember Clear Lake IA last night sitting at 84/84 at 10 pm. Anyway, I have no idea what the relation of it all is, just noticed that seems to be the occurrence everyday this week.

Actually, today was a prime example as the actual temp rose pretty quick(sitting at 95 now in MCW) while the dewpoints across many stations today mixed out pretty good especially across SW IA it seemed. Started this morning off with like a 79 dewpoint and it dropped most of the day, now its on the rise again back to 79. Still waiting to see if we can hit 80 for our hourly reading at the airport. If so it will be 3 straight days of reaching that.
 
One other thing Jeff, not sure if you saw my post before but I did see a reading one year from Onawa IA that was 101/87. Still can't remember for the life of me what year that was, I remember talking about it with Mike H. as he's from that area...other side of the river basically.
 
Im hearing that here in Minneapolis we broke our official dewpoint record. I dont see a PNS yet but I saw on FB the international airport was reporting a dp of 82 or 83. This is at least the third day in a row i've seen dewpoints well in to the 80s somewhere around the state.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Danny Neal
Classifying types of tornadoes/incorrect terminology
Replies
8
Views
7K
Todd Renshaw
Back
Top