Thunderstorms May Bring Weekend Relief From Dangerous Heat 

Much of the state is under heat -related warnings through Friday, and humidity is making things feel even hotter – but relief may be in sight.

A large swath of the Ohio River Valley in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia remains under a heat advisory, with the rest of the state under a heat-related hazardous weather outlook.

John Peck is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Charleston office. He said the summer has been relatively dry, and the addition of humidity to high temperatures will drive the heat index, which gauges how hot the weather will feel, into the triple digits with the risk of dangerous – potentially fatal – heat injuries.

“What people can do is take frequent breaks, make sure to hydrate, make sure you have some means of cooling off, especially if you’re out there,” Peck said. “If you’re going to be outdoors working, make sure you have a means to cool off after doing that. If you don’t have a means to cool off, just kind of take it easy.”

The Northern Panhandle is the only region of the state not under a heat warning or advisory. Peck said thunderstorms that passed through the area Wednesday have helped keep temperatures down in that region.

“We had some thunderstorms up there earlier or yesterday afternoon evening, which created some cooler outflow,” he said. “It’s gonna be a little bit cooler up there today. And then as you get further south, you’re getting more towards where we have some drier air, so your humidities aren’t going to be quite as high down there, which will result in lower heat index values.”

Peck said an anticipated cold front this weekend will bring thunderstorms and the possibility of some relief from the heat to the rest of the state.

“As far as thunderstorms, the primary risk with that would be some locally damaging winds, not expecting any widespread severe thunderstorm threat,” Peck said. “Some gusty winds, 50 to 60 miles an hour, could bring down some trees, cause some Isolated power outages, but again, not expecting a severe weather outbreak.”