Sheldon, Iowa — We’ve had some pretty mild temperatures in the past few weeks. So much so, that you might wonder if “summer” is ever going to get here. But it sounds like we won’t have to wonder any more — and it might be your first chance to check out the swimming pool this year.
The first hot temperatures of the season appear to be headed for our area from now through the weekend. Temperatures began their warming trend on Wednesday, but will pick up in earnest Thursday and Friday with highs reaching the low to mid 90s statewide by Friday, according to meteorologist Kyle Weisser at the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.
He tells us what’s going on to create this heat.
He says we’ll have a gradually-increasing south wind, but it’s not going to be too windy. It seems like it might be a little breezy on Sunday with winds at 15 to 25 miles per hour, he says.
And he says while northwest Iowa is no stranger to stretches of hot weather, it’s something we’re not used to — at least not recently.
He says heat index values will approach 100 in some locations during that time, but it’s still unknown if they’ll end up issuing heat advisories. Given that it will be the first hot temperatures of the season, it is important to keep heat safety in mind he says.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, those who need to be especially careful of the heat are the elderly and the young, those who are overweight, those exercising or working outside, and those with chronic illness like heart disease or high blood pressure.
For more information about preventing heat-related illness, visithttp://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp.
