The heat and humidity we have experienced so far this summer will pale in comparison to what is ahead for us this week.
As the remnants of former Hurricane Barry push to the north an area of high pressure in the southwest United States will continue to strengthen and reinforce a dome of heat that will eventually expand east this week. While heat index values Monday and Tuesday will just be oppressive, they will quickly elevate to dangerous levels by Thursday and Friday as more humidity works into the Quad Cities.
Heat index values will remain in the 90s Monday through Wednesday, but as actual temperatures rise into the middle and even upper 90s by Thursday into the weekend, heat index values will also soar. We will easily surpass a "feels like" temperature of 100° by Wednesday and then approach 110-115° by Thursday. This will make strenuous outdoor activity quite dangerous, especially if you don't remain hydrated and take frequent breaks.
We won't get much relief in the form of showers and thunderstorms this week either. The leftover moisture from Barry will quickly get pulled east and keep the heaviest rains south of the Quad Cities. Meanwhile, the active storm track will also be pushed to our north where several complexes of thunderstorms will ride the edge of the heat dome. There is a small chance that areas north of the Quad Cities could get clipped by this northern activity as early as Wednesday morning and continuing through Friday. While those odds are small, whatever areas do receive rain will see a brief break from the heat.
With the lack of organized rains expected this week, soils will continue to dry out quickly. This is a trend that we will be tracking carefully as it could begin to have agricultural impacts in the coming weeks.
Until then, if you don't need to be outside beginning Wednesday through Saturday, I'd advise staying in the A/C and keeping it cool. If you must be outside during these times, you know the drill! A lot of WATER and frequent breaks in the shade are in order.
Meteorologist Andrew Stutzke
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