COLD FRONT BRINGS RELIEF FROM THE HEAT
August 10, 2001 — A strong Canadian cold front, which has already brought relief from triple-digit heat indices in the Midwest, is headed toward sweat-drenched New England and Mid-Atlantic states. NOAA's National Weather Service said thunderstorms and high winds will lower temperatures beginning Friday evening through the weekend. (Click NOAA image to see latest excessive heat outlook.)
"Temperatures will fall back to normal, or slightly below seasonal normals, over the weekend and into the early part of next week for most of the country east of the Rockies," said David Reynolds, a forecaster at NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. He added, "Temperatures will continue to be above normal in parts of the interior Northwest, Great Basin and southern Plains."
Click NOAA image for larger view.
Source: NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
Relief Has Its Price
On Wednesday morning, the cold front sent severe thunderstorms and 75 mph winds racing across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. In Hillsboro, N.D., the town's mayor clocked a wind gust of 110 mph on the meteorological station at his home, and a 114 mph wind gust was reported at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The storm system also toppled 2,400 trees, produced baseball-sized hail in Hannaford, N.D., and dumped up to two inches of rain, which triggered flash flooding. As they moved east on Thursday morning, the cluster of storms brought down power lines across Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri. (Click NOAA image for larger view of train car in Hillsboro, N.D. Photo: 8/9/01)
"These were the strongest winds I have ever experienced," said Brad Bramer, the science operations officer at the Grand Forks Weather Forecast Office, which recorded a 101 mph wind gust. "It even shook the building as it went through."
Like the rest of the Plains and Midwest states, the Grand Forks area suffered through a six-day streak of suffocating heat indices, which at its worst last weekend, hovered near 116 degrees. Now, Bramer said, the area forecasts are for high temperatures in the 70s. "This feels more like it."
When the cold front finally arrives on the East Coast, the rains and cooler temperatures will be met with open arms. "We're all due for change around here," said Barbara Watson, warning coordination meteorologist at the Washington/Baltimore Forecast Office. Watson said the heat index Thursday evening at 9 p.m. made it feel like it was 104 degrees. "It was incredible to still have that kind of heat at that time." Watson's office extended an excessive heat warning Friday.
Click NOAA image for larger view.
Source: NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
The Heat Goes On
Throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, forecasters expect the high temperatures to linger through the weekend, into early next week. On Friday, temperatures were forecast to reach as high as 103 degrees in the Fort Worth area, and 102 on Saturday. Temperatures were forecast to reach the 90s in Oklahoma and Arkansas through early next week.
Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
NOAA's Excessive Heat Outlook
All About Heat Waves
What to Do When Heat Waves Strike
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's 6 to 10 day Outlook
1999 Heat-Related Fatalities — PDF file. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
1995 Heat-Related Fatalities
NOAA's Heat and Drought Awareness
NOAA's Weather Page
NOAA's Storm Watch
Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622 or Carmeyia Gillis, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, (301) 763-8000 ext. 7163
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