Tag: Temperatures

Dangerous Heat Moving Into Ohio Valley

The National Weather Service expects heat and humidity to move into the Mid-Ohio Valley Thursday and Friday. 

This may result in heat index values above 100 degrees, posing a danger for heat related illnesses.

The state’s western counties are under an excessive heat watch through the end of the week. 

The National Weather Service expects heat and humidity to move into the Mid-Ohio Valley Thursday and Friday. 

This may result in heat index values above 100 degrees, posing a danger for heat related illnesses. The heat index combines both air temperature and relative humidity into a single value of how hot the weather will feel.

Francis Kredensor, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston, said there may be some variability in the coming days, but high heat is all but assured for the region.

“It’s still a little bit of a question just how high it will be, but we’re pretty confident on at least the 100-degree heat index readings, and a good chance that we’ll be above 105 in a lot of spots,” he said.

According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, a heat index between 90 degrees to 103 degrees requires extreme caution. Heat stroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion are possible with prolonged exposure or physical activity.

Kredensor reminds people to take it easy, especially those with health sensitive on heat issues, and to over exert yourself in any outdoor activity if avoidable.

United Way of Central West Virginia has announced it will open cooling centers across Charleston on Thursday.

The extreme heat is expected to be short-lived as cooler air moves into the region Friday evening.

“It doesn’t look like the front itself has a lot of storms forecast to be associated with it, but definitely it could have some storms,” Kredensor said. “The bigger thing will just be getting some cooler and somewhat drier air in from the north and northwest.”

Staying Safe In Dangerous Heat

Prolonged exposure to these temperatures can cause complications ranging from muscle cramping and lightheadedness to heat stroke in extreme cases.

Heat and humidity are combining across the state to create dangerous conditions outdoors. 

The heat index in some parts of West Virginia reached into the triple digits Thursday afternoon, with temperatures expected to go higher Friday and Saturday.

The heat index combines both air temperature and relative humidity into a single value that indicates the apparent temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, or how hot the weather will feel.

The West Virginia Emergency Management Division announced Wednesday that State and local agencies are on high alert to respond to any heat-related emergencies that may arise. 

Dr. Lee Smith, the physician director and county health officer for the Monongalia County Health Department, said prolonged exposure to these temperatures can cause complications ranging from muscle cramping and lightheadedness to heat stroke in extreme cases.

“You should try to avoid the heat,” he said. “Take a lesson from those countries that traditionally have a lot of heat. They have siesta, which is a way to get people out of the heat of the day. You can resume your activities later on in the evening.”

Smith said staying hydrated is an often overlooked necessity in hot conditions, not only with water but with electrolytes as well. He also recommended wearing loose-fitting, comfortable clothing. 

“It’s easy to do, (people) wait until they’re thirsty to drink. You really need to try and keep well hydrated, that keeps things moving through the body,” he said. “If you’re doing activities, if your job requires you to be out in the sun, you should be taking things with electrolytes in them because we don’t want you just hydrating with water. You need the potassium and the chlorides and the phosphorus and all that stuff to keep your muscles from cramping.”

High heat events are an important time to check in on elderly relatives and neighbors who, along with young children and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, are more susceptible to the heat.

“In the elderly it’s because many times they’re on medications that make them more susceptible and the young, their metabolism is somewhat different than an adult and they’re more susceptible to heat type of issues,” Smith said. “People need to be aware that they should never leave their pets, their animals or their children inside a car on these hot days because it will heat up hotter inside the car.”

The National Weather Service’s outlook for July 27 through July 29, 2023.

Drastic Temperature Swings May Affect Fruit Tree Yields

The rule of thumb for putting out your outdoor plants is right around May 15, close to Mother’s Day.

Over the past month we’ve seen days in the 70s and nights below freezing. 

Zack Fowler is a West Virginia University biology professor and the director at WVU’s Core Arboretum. He said the wild temperature swings relate to phenology, the timing of annual events and an organism’s life cycle.

“Phenology is, especially around here, emerging from dormancy in the spring, making flowers, making fruits, losing leaves, going back into dormancy, those sorts of things,” Fowler said. “The scientists that study this have found big changes in plant phenology due to warmer weather earlier in the spring.”

Fowler said early blossoms on apple and paw paw trees, for example, followed by freezing temperatures, won’t necessarily kill the tree, but can affect the fruit yield.  

“If a frost comes while the flowers are blossoming, the blossoms would die before they’ll produce fruit, and if it comes when there’s already some small tender fruit, the fruit will just kind of wither and fall,” he said.

Fowler said when blossoms come early, sometimes pollinators like bees come out of hibernation as well, giving fruit growth a natural boost. 

“Trees and plants depend on the emergence of pollinators and other organisms to complete their life cycle,” Fowler said. “You end up in this complex system where if everything moves together as things warm up, it might not be weird to have spring earlier, but it might not have drastic system wide effects. If everything doesn’t move in sync, if one thing moves faster than another thing, or if the insects respond differently than the plants, or if the trees respond differently than the small plants that need to grow under the trees, then things could really be impacted by that.” 

He said the rule of thumb for putting out your outdoor plants is right around May 15, close to Mother’s Day.

Record Lows Set in West Virginia Cities; Warmer Temps Coming

Record-low temperatures have been set in parts of West Virginia as a blast of Arctic air swept through the state.

The National Weather Service says the thermometer dipped to 14-below zero Sunday morning in Elkins. That broke the previous record of 12 below set in 1988.

In Parkersburg, the low of 7 below on Sunday broke the mark of 6 below set in 2014.

A warmup is on the way, but not before a wintry mix hits the state early Monday. Although little accumulation is expected, authorities warn that sleet and freezing rain could make for a hazardous morning commute.

The weather service says highs should rebound to the mid-60s in parts of West Virginia by Thursday.

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