Hope you like it hot...

If you don't like hot weather, then you are not going to like Friday and Saturday.  A heat advisory has been issued for Friday afternoon.  Temperatures in the low 90s with the heat index over 100+ degrees.  Saturday could be a tiny bit cooler.

Saturday will be the better day of the two for severe weather.

So far, no rain & no severe...

At my home on the west side of Kokomo, only 1/100th of an inch has been recorded over the past three days.  It has been pretty much a miss not on all accounts for severe and wet weather.  Looking at an early Tuesday models, I am not overly excited at all with the severe potential for today.  It looks like rain showers at best and I sort of suspect then will dive south again.

9 AM Update: New SPC update slides the slight risk for Indiana to areas south of I-70.  We are officially done.

The good news is the heat wave is more moderate than forecast.  No excessive temperatures above 90 so that is good.

Besides today we have slight risk potential for Wednesday and Thursday.  That will make five consecutive slight risk days for much of Indiana.  That doesn't happen very often. Hopefully we won't bust on all five days.

More Hot Weather...

July really looks to finish hotter then it started.  Yeah, I said hotter.  While there might be a few cooler days here or there, look for several days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees.  Some early forecasts show the latter part of next week into the weekend could be over 95 degrees.  The dewpoints will remain high and that in turn will drive heat indexes well into 100+ for many days.  I did see readings over 120 degrees for the heat index.  I hope that is wrong.

Speaking as a homeowner and general handyman, I strongly urge you to take an hour or two this weekend to give some TLC to your air conditioning system.  Get the weeds and grass away from the outside system.  Take the garden hose and clean the coils.  You may want to shut off power to the unit and spray from the inside out.  Be careful and call a professional if you don't feel confident.  Do not use a power washer of any kind.  That may seem like a quick and easy solution but the coils are fragile and will bend right over.  Then you will have problems.  You might consider getting some coil cleaner.  I picked mine up at Lowes but other places will likely have it.  While there, get a new furnace filter too.  You do not want your unit going down in the middle of the heat wave.  A clean AC unit works better and costs less to run.

Some severe weather could also be a problem with the heat.  However the really hot days have a high bust potential too.  Today was a good example where we have lots of instability but nothing really set it off.  Just a few hit or miss problems across the state.  I recorded about 3/4 of an inch of rain today.  Most of it in a very short amount of time.

Friday evening and Saturday look to be the best time of the weekend for outdoor activities and chores.  They will be very warm however.  Sunday brings back the threat of thundershowers with some possibly being severe.

I will keep an eye on the upcoming heat wave and there is maybe a 5% chance we could temperatures top the century mark before this month is done.

Let's cool off for a moment and talk about the 2010-2011 winter.  I am already seeing a few rough forecasts.  They are pretty much all over the road and I am just reading and making mental notes when I see them.  However here is one I really like from the Climate Prediction Center division of the NWS. See the December, January, February bullseye for above average precipitation for Indiana.  Sweet! 

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 479 is in effect until 900 PM CDT

In .    Indiana counties included are

Adams                Allen               Benton             
Blackford            Boone               Carroll            
Cass                 Clay                Clinton            
Delaware             De Kalb             Elkhart            
Fountain             Fulton              Grant              
Hamilton             Hancock             Hendricks          
Henry                Howard              Huntington         
Jasper               Jay                 Johnson            
Kosciusko            LaGrange            lake               
La Porte             Madison             Marion             
Marshall             Miami               Montgomery         
Morgan               Newton              Noble              
Owen                 Parke               Porter             
Pulaski              Putnam              Randolph           
Shelby               St. Joseph          Starke             
Steuben              Tippecanoe          Tipton             
Vermillion           Vigo                Wabash             
Warren               Wells               white              
Whitley             

...Heat advisory in effect from 2 PM to 8 PM EDT Thursday...

...Heat advisory in effect from 2 PM to 8 PM EDT Thursday...

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a heat
advisory...which is in effect from 2 PM to 8 PM EDT Thursday.

* Temperature: will reach the lower and middle 90s during the
  afternoon and early evening hours.

* Impacts: excessive heat values near or above 100 will occur
  throughout the afternoon and early evening Thursday.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A heat advisory means that a period of hot temperatures is
expected. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity
will combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are
possible. Drink plenty of fluids...stay in an air-conditioned
room...stay out of the sun...and check up on relatives and
neighbors.

Severe Weather Thursday

There is a slight risk for severe weather just to our north for Thursday.  Look for some potentially damanging winds, hail, and tornadoes tomorrow.

Hot Hot Hot

Yep, the heat continues...

Monday was not quite as hot as forecast and the overnight was cooler too.  I wonder if we will hit 90 today as forecast...