Summer Heat Continues, More 90° Days on the Way

Believe it or not, temperatures were slightly cooler, and dew points were less humid to kick off our Thursday morning. Thanks to an area of high pressure over The Great Lakes region, any shower activity that popped up during the evening yesterday was short-lived, leaving us partly cloudy and dry overnight.

This allowed temperatures to drop down into the upper 60s for most this morning, with a few spots landing in the low 70s. With that being said, don't let this cooler start fool you. Another hot summer day is in store for the region, as more sunshine will allow highs to soar back into the low 90s by this afternoon.

In fact, this summer-like heat continues to show no signs of slowing down, and it's all thanks to a massive ridge of high pressure located higher up in the atmosphere. This ridge is expected to lift as far north as the U.S/Canadian border by tomorrow afternoon. As a ridge continues to build, sinking air underneath it keeps the warmer and drier weather around. Scientifically, when air sinks, it warms. This will allow highs over the the 4th of July holiday weekend to climb into the low 90s, with thunderstorm chances remaining very isolated.

The question is, with this extreme heat be "record-breaking". And the answer is, not even close. The record high temperatures for July 4th, 5th, and 6th all came about from the same heat wave that occurred back in July of 2012, which is also the warmest July on record for the Rockford area. Highs on July 4th, 2012 soared to 102°, breaking the old record of 101° that was set back in 1911. The record high for July 5th of 102°, broke the old record of 100° that was also set back in 1911.

A lot of numbers to soak in, I know. But even though it won't be record-breaking heat, you'll still want to make sure to practice heat safety while celebrating America's birthday. That means wearing light clothing, taking frequent breaks in the shade, and drinking plenty of H2O. Also, NEVER leave pets or children unattended either outdoors, or in a vehicle.