Spring Warmth Set To Bake the Plains | WeatherBug
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Spring Warmth Set To Bake the Plains

August 14, 2017
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologists, Brian Dillon and Matt Mehallow
Dangerous heat baked the Desert Southwest on Wednesday and Thursday. This spring heatwave will continue as a dominant ridge of high pressure will build across the Great Basin and into the Plains, pumping unseasonably warm air north and eastward today.

As the ridge slowly made its way eastward on Thursday, temperatures rose into the upper 80s. Bismark, N.D. reached a high temperature of 88 degrees, which is 23 degrees above normal. International Falls, Minn. reached a record high temperature of 89 degrees, which broke the previous record of 86 degrees back in 1918. The average for May 5 is 61 degrees. Upper 80s and lower 90s extended into southern Manitoba, with Winnipeg reaching 94 degees on Thursday afternoon. Billings, Mont., tied their record of 84 degrees, which was set back in 1936.

Temperatures today will bring the mid 80s to parts of the Upper Midwest and Central Plains again for the end of the work week. Cities like Minneapolis, Minn., Omaha, Neb., Goodland, Kan., Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, N.M., will reach into the upper 80s to low 90s. Temperatures will average 15-25 degrees above normal for early May.

This type of heat this early in the season can be particularly dangerous if you don’t take precautions. Remember, the sun is as strong as it is in late July, so be sure to use plenty of sunscreen. In addition,
  • Try to avoid outdoor activities during the middle of the day.
  • If you must be outdoors, be sure to drink plenty of water and avoid alcoholic beverages.
  • Check on pets that may be spending the day outside. Be sure they have plenty of water and shade.
  • Be careful preparing fire pits and starting bonfires. Dry conditions, heat and winds will fan flames quickly.
As quickly as the heat arrives in the Southwest, it will move out. A disturbance off of southern California will move into the Great Basin this weekend, bringing with it below-average temperatures and even a few showers with scattered thunderstorms to parts of California and Arizona. Temperatures will be 5-15 degrees below normal when this disturbance moves in, after Phoenix saw their first 100 degree day on Wednesday.