Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Thursday's misery is just a preview of what's to come this weekend as a heat advisory takes over Friday morning through Saturday night.
The National Weather Service is calling for temps to reach the upper 90's with heat index readings of 100 degrees or more all the way through Sunday. Thursday saw a record-tying high of 95, matching the mark set one year ago. Jen Hacker with the NWS said it's not uncommon to see one day in the 90's in June, but having several warm days in a row is. "Just looking at temperatures above 90 degrees, the last time a 4 day stretch like this happened was back in 2002." She added that a string of 95 degree days is even more uncommon.
And with the added heat this weekend Hacker says it's time to get back to playing it safe when working outdoors. "Make sure you take frequent breaks, get inside some air conditioning if you can, or if that's not allowed at least try to sit down in some shade every hour or two." Increasing your water intake will also be important, as well as checking on those who may not have air conditioning to make sure they are OK during the hottest parts of the day. Another vital tip is to make sure you don't leave children or pets in the backseat of your car during the day.
As for what's causing the mid-summer like heat, Hacker says you can blame a strong ridge of high pressure that has parked itself over the region. "When that gets over us, it basically allows the heat to build throughout the entire central portion of the United States." A strong flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is also working to drive the heat and humidity up.