Well, it’s certainly been another “classic” July day in the Tennessee Valley, with that humidity permeating all of our waking outdoor time and highs in the 90s to boot. We also saw a few showers and downpours mixed in across the area today, but really this is typical for this time of year – and will continue to be a part of our days for the coming week. The main story, however, is not the rain. It is the big time HEAT WAVE we’ve been monitoring that will continue to grow over the next several days. Let’s take a look.
With temperatures in the upper 90s and heat index values in the triple digits, it is safe to say we’ve started the warming trend, and tomorrow is essentially exactly the same in most ways. Much like today, we won’t be talking WIDESPREAD rain, but some isolated showers and a downpour here or there is expected when you have the kind of heat and moisture that we have. Perhaps unsurprisingly we hold onto a HEAT ADVISORY for all of our counties into this time frame, but it is important to note that the National Weather Service the chance for EXTREME HEAT WATCHES and perhaps even some warning-criteria heat, which both are one/two levels above the simple heat advisory.
The most likely time for the highest heat values will be Tuesday and Wednesday, though on the days surrounding them we absolutely maintain rather abnormally high heat. By that time frame, while we still hold onto spotty shower activity as usual, the 108F-113F (on average around 110F) heat index values will be the main story. It’s important to remember that there’s no shame in taking a good old fashioned siesta in the peak of summer heat, especially on days like this – just stay hydrated, and keep shade (and preferably A/C) nearby, and we should get through this heat wave without a hitch. It’s also worth mentioning that, while not officially announced by any of our power providers, we should do our part to be wise about our power consumption on days like this due to the fact that so many of our neighbors (and us!) will be using A/C to cool their homes, so there will be quite high power demands. That’s July for you!
The 7 day forecast shows that trend up nicely, but also note the good indications of a DOWNWARD trend in temperatures by the end of the week, and towards next weekend that coincide with those elevated storm chances. I can tell you this much – after a few days of 107+ heat index values, upper 80s will practically feel like fall in comparison!
