Late-summer heat wave on the way

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Heat Wave

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Get ready for another blast of heat. Temperatures in the 90’s are possible for at least the next 2-to-3 days in Wisconsin – and highs are then supposed to cool off into the low-to-mid-80’s for Saturday and Sunday.

The National Weather Service says a large high pressure system will give us clear skies all the way through Saturday. The next mention of rain in the forecast is for Sunday. The hottest day is expected to be tomorrow, with highs reaching into the mid-90’s. Wisconsin Emergency Management is warning people about the impending heat. Ten people died in the state this summer as the direct result of the hot weather. Most were around the Fourth-of-July. And officials say we could see a repeat of buckled highways – which is a concern due to heavy traffic expected for the Labor Day weekend. Tod Pritchard of Wisconsin Emergency Management recommends drinking plenty of water, and finding air conditioning. He says the heat takes more lives than tornadoes, floods, and winter storms combined. But a lot more folks are taking heed today. This year’s deaths are miniscule compared to 1995 – when a heat wave killed 100 people in Milwaukee alone.

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The National Weather Service says dangerous wildfire conditions are possible tomorrow in west central Wisconsin and parts of southern Minnesota. Forecasters expect clear skies with highs in the 90’s, low humidities of around 20-percent, and continuous winds of 15-to-20 miles an hour with gusts above 30. Officials say it all adds up to risky wildfire conditions. And the Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota has called a “Fire Weather Watch” from tomorrow afternoon through tomorrow evening for Saint Croix, Pierce, Pepin, Dunn, Chippewa, and Eau Claire counties – plus a good share of southern Minnesota. The Weather Service says hot weather is on the way, thanks to a large high pressure system. But the furnace has not been turned out yet. No place in Wisconsin was in the 80’s as of 10 this morning. Janesville was the warm spot with 79, and it was still 68 in Superior. Forecasters expect highs to get close to 90 this afternoon, and in the mid-90’s tomorrow before things begin to cool off a bit for the holiday weekend.

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Hurricane Issac continues to drive up gas prices in the Upper Midwest. But Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service says we could see some relief by the Labor Day weekend – after prices go up some more. Here in Wisconsin, unleaded regular is going for a statewide average of $3.89-a-gallon today. That’s almost four cents more than yesterday, and it’s blamed the temporary shutdowns of oil refineries in the Gulf region due to the hurricane. In Metro Milwaukee, prices are inching close to four-dollars a gallon. Milwaukee Gas Prices.com reports an average of almost $3.95 in the state’s largest metro, up a penny from yesterday. Nationally, gas prices jumped by five-cents over the last day – and as many as 14 cents in some states. Triple-“A” Wisconsin’s average price is about nine-cents higher than the national norm. Prices have been higher than normal in recent weeks due to a broken crude oil pipeline in Adams County.

Tags: news, weather, wisconsin