Heat dome will blanket much of the US, with worrisome temperatures in Midwest

AP Summer will make a dramatic entrance in the U S this week with a heat dome that will bring stifling temperatures and uncomfortable humidity to millions The heat will be particularly worrisome this weekend across wide stretches of Nebraska Illinois Wisconsin and Iowa where forecasters are warning of extreme temperature impacts This will be the first stretch of true summertime weather for multiple from Midwest to the East Coast disclosed Tom Kines a meteorologist at the private weather company AccuWeather A lot of those folks have been saying where s summer Well buckle up because it s coming commented Kines The humid conditions will make places that exceed degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius feel as much as degrees hotter noted Kines Heat dome forming A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity commented Ricky Castro a National Weather Amenity meteorologist in Illinois According to the NWS Weather Prediction Center daytime temperatures will be in the s Fahrenheit s Celsius and overnight temperatures will only drop to the mid- s Fahrenheit mid- s Celsius from the Great Lakes to the East Coast during the heat wave that s expected to last into next week Moisture blown northward from the Gulf of Mexico is fueling the muggy weather reported Jacob Asherman a Weather Prediction Center meteorologist This influx of moisture is fairly typical during late spring and summer he revealed The Gulf which shares borders with Mexico and the U S was renamed by President Donald Trump to the Gulf of America The heat will be widespread into next week On Friday Denver could reach F C according to the weather organization Chicago temperatures could reach degrees C on Sunday On Tuesday Washington D C could see a high of F C and New York Central Park could reach F C Several states in the Midwest could see dangerous temperature impacts over the weekend according to a weather provision measure that rates the jeopardy from zero to four Parts of Nebraska and Kansas will be in the highest category on the scale on Saturday meaning that anyone without effective cooling or sufficient hydration could face strength risks On Sunday Iowa Wisconsin Missouri and Illinois also see a category rating High humidity makes it hard to cool down Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air and the heat index is what the temperature feels like when the humidity outside is factored in according to the weather organization When humans sweat it cools the body down because it absorbs and removes heat as it evaporates off the skin The air is saturated with water on humid days which makes it harder for sweat to evaporate Hot and humid days can be dangerous when the body is unable to cool itself off and can exacerbate pre-existing healthcare conditions and even lead to heat stroke Minimizing direct sun exposure wearing loose and light-colored clothing staying hydrated and spending time in air-conditioned spaces are procedures to cool down during extreme heat according to the NWS Specific parts of the U S such as Phoenix Arizona are famously hot without the mugginess Phoenix and nearby desert regions experience this so-called dry heat due to being located far away from large water bodies mountains that block moist air masses and weather patterns that bring scarce precipitation Sweat evaporates faster in dry climates compared to humid ones This can be dangerous because it is easy to underestimate how dehydrated you are according to Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Wellness System Even the crops sweat In places such as Iowa crops can affect the humidity in summer months Plants feel the effects of hot weather and certain people in the Midwest are familiar with corn sweat which is when crops move water to their leaves and other surfaces so it can evaporate according to the Ohio State University Madison County Iowa farmer Ryan Marquardt revealed corn sweat is not as bad as a sauna but it definitely would have a sauna effect It s humid in there the cornfield so you re gonna sweat Cornfield contributions to the overall humidity are much lower compared to the humidity winds carry from the Gulf according to OSU