After four straight days of sweltering heat statewide, forecasters say a cool front is approaching and, highs may only be in the 70s by next week. Meteorologist Alexis Jimenez at the National Weather Service, says we should start seeing a change for the cooler within a matter of several hours.
“We have a cold front moving through late tonight that could bring some isolated thunderstorms to some northern counties and then some cooling will happen on Friday,” Jimenez says. “We’ll have highs in the low to mid 90s and then even cooler as we get into the weekend with just highs in the 80s returning.” She says the long-range forecast indicates the extreme heat isn’t returning anytime soon, and high temperatures will be much closer to normal.
“Even in the next week, the highs in the 80s and even some days not even making it the out of the 70s look possible,” Jimenez says, “so much more comfortable temperatures on the way.” Given this (Thursday) afternoon’s forecast, it’s very possible more records will be set for the extreme heat before the cold front arrives tonight, and several more records were broken on Wednesday.
“Des Moines hit 100, Waterloo 105, and then Mason City 101,” Jimenez says. “We had four records broken for the highest recorded low temperature: Des Moines only got down to 80, Waterloo 79, Mason City 78, and Ottumwa 77.” The Excessive Heat Warning is scheduled to expire at 7 o’clock this evening. It was issued on Monday morning.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)