Relief from Heat on the Way for Northern Plains and Midwest

Posted: September 4, 2023 6:32 am

It has been an unusually warm Labor Day weekend for the central U.S. and beyond. When can you expect the heat to finally abate? Here is the forecast for the nation’s heartland.

Chance of Record-Breaking Heat Lingers on Labor Day

You would need to consult the calendar to know that the start of the meteorological fall arrived this weekend. It felt more like summer throughout the central portions of the U.S. as a large area of high pressure helped to usher in more heat and dry conditions. However, a change may be on the way for some communities as the first full week of September takes shape.

While the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest will start to see some relief from the heat this week, the southern Plains is forecast to linger in this stifling weather pattern. It may take a bit of time for the relief to arrive in the northern tier of the central U.S. For instance, another potentially record-breaking day of heat could be the story for the northern Plains and the Midwest on Monday.

Cities such as Minneapolis and Des Moines are both in danger of seeing record highs challenged on the holiday as the mercury surges close to the century mark. Some of these records have stood for over 100 years, pointing to the rarity of this degree of heat in September.

While Chicago is likely to not see readings hit the 100-degree mark with this heat wave, the long weekend is still likely to come in with at least four days of readings in the 90s before the heat breaks later in the week. Should this happen, it will only be the second time this summer that the Windy City has seen four consecutive days of readings in the 90s. The last time was from July 25 – 28.

Cold Front Will Deliver Cooler Temperatures for Northern Plains and Midwest

Those in the northern Plains who are tired of the heat are in luck. A cold front is forecast to dip down into the region to start the week, sending the mercury on a downward trajectory. Unfortunately, the arrival of the cold front could also usher in severe thunderstorms.

The Dakotas and Nebraska will be the first area to see the risk of severe weather. These storms are forecast to get going late Monday and into Tuesday. There is also the chance of storms erupting across parts of Montana and Wyoming to end the Labor Day holiday weekend. The main threats associated with this line of storms will be heavy rain, strong winds, and hail.

The threat of severe weather will move to the east in tandem with the cold front, hitting the major metropolitan areas of Minneapolis and Chicago by the middle of the week. Eastern Minnesota, the northeastern corner of Iowa, and western Wisconsin will all be at risk of seeing the storm development by late Tuesday. Localized flash flooding is also a risk in this zone.

The good news is that the storms will work to trim the heat in this part of the country, bringing the high temperatures down to more tolerable readings in the 70s and 80s. This will be a dramatic departure from the readings in the 90s and low triple digits to start the week.

The bulk of the heat will then expand into the Northeast as it exits the north central U.S.

No Relief for South Central U.S

Those in the south central U.S. will not be as lucky as it relates to relief from the hot weather. The cold front is not expected to dip far enough to the south to bring the cooler temperatures down this way. Instead, the southern Plains and parts of the Southwest will continue to see the possibility of record-challenging heat through the first week of September.

This is not the time of the year to let down your guard. The intensity of this heat is a particular challenge as schools return to session and youth sports start up again. Limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest part of the day and being intentional about staying hydrated are both good ways to mitigate the risk of heat-related illnesses.

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