More of the Same on Tap for Tuesday, Severe Potential Arrives Wednesday

Hot Stretch Continues: 

What more can we say besides it was another hot one yesterday. With wall-to-wall sunshine and a bit of a breeze out of the southwest, temperatures had no issues soaring back into the low 90s. While it was a hot afternoon, we were fortunate enough to have dew points in the upper 50s and low 60s, resulting in comfortable humidity levels. However, that is set to quickly change beginning today, and then really becoming a factor by Wednesday.

Feeling the Humidity:

Tuesday begins with a bit more cloud cover, thanks to a round of showers and thunderstorms that are currently moving through central Wisconsin. Cloud cover this morning is expected to thin out a bit by the afternoon, allowing for filtered sunshine. 

That, along with a decent breezy out of the west-southwest, will help temperatures soar back into the 90s for the 22nd time this year. But with that uptick in dew point temperatures, it'll feel warmer than it actually is. If you're planning on attending Day 1 of the Stephenson County Fair, or Food Truck Tuesday over at Sinnissippi Park, remember to keep heat safety in mind. Drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks in the shade, and make sure to have the sunscreen with you. Similar to Monday, the UV Index is back at a 9 on a scale from 1 to 11.

Severe Potential Wednesday:

Wednesday features more of the same. Except, this uptick in heat and humidity will help increase our odds to see severe potential late in the day into Wednesday night. The Storm Prediction Center has shifted the slight risk more to the east-northeast, keeping much of the region under a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5) for severe weather. A cap or what we refer to as a "lid" in the atmosphere should keep thunderstorms chances at bay until late in the day, with thunderstorms first developing across extreme eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Thanks to a strengthening low-level jet, storms should congeal into a line of storms, or something we refer to as an M.C.S (mesoscale convective system). These type of systems are more common during the summertime months, especially when you have a strong ridge of high pressure over the western United States. Gusty winds will be the primary concern as these storms track southeastward towards Lake Michigan, with heavy downpours not too far behind. The same storm system and cold front that bring us Wednesday's thunderstorm chances will also help us slowly cool down into the last weekend of July.