The hottest days of the year in the Twin Cities are expected to happen this week. Temperatures will climb into the 90's Tuesday, and it only will get warmer from there. The upper 90's are expected Wednesday into Friday with the humidity making it feel like triple digits.
"Unlike Arizona it won't be a dry heat," says WCCO chief meteorologist Paul Douglas. "It'll be a hot heat, a moist heat, a free sauna. Tropical with dew points up around 70 Wednesday, Thursday, making it feel like 105. Take it easy out there.
Douglas says rain is possible too, coming in the form of storms. He says we could have conditions this week that produce what meteorologists call a derecho, which is relatively rare in Minnesota. A derecho is A widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms and require high humidity and high temps to form. Minnesota will have all of that this week.
"Some of the storms tonight (Tuesday) could be strong to severe," Douglas warns. "Best chance of severe later today far western Minnesota. You are under a slight risk. I think there will be some watches and warnings later tonight and they could affect the metro."
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There were a handful of storms and warnings on Monday night, including one in North Hudson that damaged some property and knocked out power.
This hot spell in Minnesota is similar to some of the heat waves we've seen recently across the country Douglas says.
"People simply aren't going outside during the daylight hours, and hopefully the grid stays on," Douglas says about some of the issues seen in other parts of the U.S. "Some of the studies show that if the power goes off during a major heat wave, you can have thousands of fatalities."
The unrelenting heat wave might be expanding to the Midwest and Northeast this week, but there's been no relief in the Southwest and West. In Phoenix temperatures topped 110 degrees Monday for the 25th straight day.
The risks of temperatures that high are significant, with people actually getting burned by hot pavement. In Tempe, Arizona, schools there not only have cooling zones but rescue buses. That's their Plan B in case any of the fully air-conditioned school buses break down.
Monday was our 16th day above 90 degrees this summer in the Twin Cities. That is above the average of 13 days for an entire summer. Douglas says it is possible we double that average by September with how our weather has been trending.
The good news is we're back into the more comfortable 80s by this weekend says Douglas.
On top of this heat, there are more air quality alerts to be aware of as well. The alert for wildfire smoke in central and northern Minnesota has been extended until Tuesday afternoon.
And now the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for ozone in the Twin Cities through Thursday. Ozone will be highest during the afternoon and early evening hours when it's the sunniest and hottest. The air quality will again be in the orange category, meaning it's unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Air Quality Alert
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for the Twin Cities, effective from noon on Tuesday, July 25, through 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 27. The affected area includes the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and the tribal nation of Prairie Island.
The air quality alert in northern Minn. for wildfire smoke has been extended until 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The central/northern alert area includes Brainerd, Alexandria, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Bemidji, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac.
In the Twin Cities, ground-level ozone is expected to be high during the afternoon hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Sunny skies, warm temperatures, and low humidity will create an environment favorable for two types of pollutants (volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) to react in the air to produce ground-level ozone. Ozone will be highest during the afternoon and early evening hours when sunshine is most abundant, and temperatures are highest. Ozone will be low in the morning, late evening, and overnight. Ozone levels are expected to reach the orange air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across central and southern Minn. The health impacts of air quality are exacerbated by extreme heat.
Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, children and older adults, and people who are active outdoors, should take extra precautions and avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. The general public should consider timing outdoor exertion during the morning hours when both temperatures and ozone levels are the lowest. The alert area includes the Twin Cities and the tribal nation of Prairie Island. In the orange ozone alert area, sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors during the afternoon and early evening.
In northern Minn., wildfire smoke from fires in northern Alberta and British Columbia will persist for the rest of today, overnight, and into the day on Tuesday. Southerly winds will gradually push the thickest smoke out of the state by tomorrow afternoon.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the orange air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across central and northern Minn. This area includes Brainerd, Alexandria, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Bemidji, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac. In the orange area, sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors.
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