To say this summer has been hot so far would be an understatement. Jealousy for those with pools is at an all time high, so please extend courtesy invites to those less fortunate. In all seriousness, temperatures will be in the 90s to even low 100s, with heat indexes approaching 110° in many areas Monday into especially Tuesday. Mountainous areas of the state won’t be quite as bad, which we will get to below.
In only takes 15 minutes for the interior of a car to reach 140° in 100° weather. NEVER leave any person or pet in a car for ANY amount of time. That quick conversation you thought you’d have could run 10-15 minutes and conditions will turn life-threatening for the person or pet in the car. So never for any amount of time. Also, stay extra hydrated. Drink at least 8-12 cups of water per day.
Excessive Heat Watches have been issued for Southeast and South Central Pennsylvania, an alert type that has not been issued all season for most of that area yet. Meaning this will be the most intense heat wave yet, largely caused by actual temperatures nearing 100°. Below is a map of those watches, seen in dark red.
When Will the Heat Finally Break?
A cold front will push through Wednesday into Thursday, dropping temperatures near to slightly below average. This means highs in the 70s to mostly 80s across the state, with nighttime lows actually cool enough to sleep in!
The Climate Prediction Center even has parts of Pennsylvania in a slight chance of below average temperatures in the 6-10 day period, or next weekend into early parts of the following week.
Now back to the bad news, which is of course what we have to get through between now and then. Another tip: Don’t walk your dog (or any animal) on the pavement, because pavement temperatures will be as hot as the internal temperature of a medium well steak hot off the grill. And you certainly don’t want your pet’s paws cooking on the pavement. So stick to the grass!
FIRST CALL MONDAY-TUESDAY HEAT INDEX FORECAST
These are dangerous conditions, and please follow our recommendations to never a person or pet in a hot car for even five minutes, stay hydrated, and walk your pet on grass! In case of a power outage, immediately try to find someone you can go to with air conditioning.
Area A: Heat indexes between 105° and 110° expected, peaking on Tuesday afternoon.
Area B: Heat indexes between 100° and 105° anticipated, peaking on Tuesday afternoon.
Area C: Heat indexes between 95° and 100° expected, peaking Tuesday afternoon.
Area D: Heat indexes between 90° and 95° anticipated, peaking on Tuesday afternoon.
Whether it’s running into the store quickly, or dropping something off and saying hello, NEVER leave anyone in a car with no cold AC running. Please share this article, as it may help someone.
You must be logged in to post a comment.