This Special Weather Statement is for Cass, Adair, Adams, Audubon, Guthrie, Crawford, Carroll, Dallas, Madison, Union, Taylor and Ringgold Counties in the KJAN listening area….

Issued 446 AM CDT SAT AUG 24 2013

…A PROLONGED PERIOD OF UNSEASONABLY HOT CONDITIONS FORECAST TO BEGIN SUNDAY AND EXTEND THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...

A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT THROUGH IOWA ON TODAY AND WILL BRING MUCH WARMER CONDITIONS TO THE STATE BY SUNDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 90S. EVEN WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW LOCATIONS TO REACH 100 ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES TUESDAY AND IN THE SOUTHWEST WEDNESDAY.

HIGHS WEDNESDAY MAY BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER OVER THE NORTHEAST WITH HIGHS AROUND 90 EXPECTED. DEW POINT VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE DEW POINTS COMBINED WITH THE TEMPERATURE WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 100 TO 105 DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.

A WEAK COLD FRONT MAY MOVE INTO NORTHEAST IOWA WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AND MAY PROVIDE LIMITED RELIEF HOWEVER THE HEAT IS EXPECTED TO BUILD BACK INTO THE STATE BY FRIDAY. THIS WILL BE THE MOST PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAT SINCE LAST SUMMER. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAT…THE POTENTIAL FOR APPRECIABLE PRECIPITATION THROUGH THIS PERIOD IS VERY LOW.

THERE ARE NUMEROUS PRECAUTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN DURING PROLONGED HEAT EVENTS: DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK…EXERCISE OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS  ACTIVITIES TO THE EARLY MORNING OR EVENING HOURS. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…SCHEDULE FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS.