That excessive heat warning is still posted for a fifth consecutive day for 28 counties in southern Iowa until 7 o’clock tonight, and while the rest of the state is no longer under the warning, it’ll still be hot — just not as hot as it’s been all week.
Meteorologist Alexis Jimenez, with the National Weather Service, says the extreme heat wave is finally cooling off, though it’ll be gradual.
“We have a cold front on the way down which will, thankfully, bring some much-needed relief for the temperatures this afternoon,” Jimenez says. “Unfortunately, it’s getting delayed in southern Iowa, hence the continuation of the excessive heat warning down there, with some heat indices possibly still reaching 110 this afternoon.”
Parts of northern Iowa saw showers and scattered thunderstorms this morning, though the rain won’t be widespread. By tomorrow, Jimenez says temperatures should be closer to normal for Iowa in late August.
“The highs this weekend will feel much nicer in comparison to where they have been,” she says, “Highs in the low to mid 80s and that same trend will continue into much of the upcoming work week.”
Forecasters say some areas of the state may see highs a few days next week only in the 70s. That’s a big change from this week, as multiple records were set in triple-digits, including 105 degrees in Waterloo on Wednesday, and a heat index of 122 degrees in Sioux City on Monday.
(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)