Heat wave hits Iowa, daily highs in the 90s are likely all week

MASON CITY — This could be Iowa’s hottest week of the year so far.

National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon says the forecast calls for steamy, sticky weather right into the weekend.  “We are going to be seeing temperatures rising into the upper 80s to lower 90s already today,” Donavon says. “That’ll continue into Tuesday, and then we’re really seeing the heat build in by Wednesday-Thursday with highs really in the mid to upper 90s and those heat index values starting to top 100.”

Thursday could be the hottest day of the week, with highs approaching 100 degrees. The heat wave coincides with RAGBRAI, as thousands of bicyclists make their way across the state.  “Anybody that has outdoor activities, you’ve really got to stay hydrated, take breaks when appropriate,” Donavon says. “If you can postpone those activities or move them up to the cooler parts of the day, it certainly will help.”

There’s an outside chance for a little rainfall and some cooler weather this week, though the odds aren’t great.  “We’re going to be looking at highs in the 90 through at least Friday. That could possibly extend into Saturday,” Donavon says. “We do have some spotty thunderstorm chances. It’s not entirely out of the question with this type of pattern where you could get thunderstorms moving through and that could possibly keep temperatures lower one of those days in there.”

Keep up with the changing forecast at kglonews.com