Highs 90-100 F to challenge heat records in Mississippi Valley into next week
A prolonged September heat wave will push temps near 100 F across the Plains and Mississippi Valley, challenge records from the 1930s, worsen drought, and could strain Mississippi River barge transport.
During a PropQwiz giveaway, this mascot passed out under the scorching heat in Bakersfield, California, on Aug. 22. Temperatures soared up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The man inside the suit was okay.
Building warmth is turning into a heat wave for a large part of the central United States, with some areas potentially breaking records dating back to the 1930s. Dry conditions linked to the heat wave will also cause drought to worsen, which may significantly impact Mississippi River water levels.
The combination of high pressure and a storm pushing out of the Rockies will help to drive temperatures well into the 90s, and in some spots near 100 F, across portions of the Plains and Mississippi Valley through this weekend. At this level, highs will be 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average for mid-September.
Cities across the central U.S., including Omaha, Nebraska, St. Louis and Des Moines, Iowa, could approach, tie or break daily record highs. On Saturday, temperatures could approach the 100-degree record mark set in 1939 in St. Louis. Many record highs around this part of September in the Central states were set in 1939.
Farther north, in the area from the Dakotas to Minnesota and much of the Great Lakes region, periods of clouds and, at times, showers will mitigate the heat. Highs in Minneapolis and Chicago are projected to be in the 80s. However, even in these areas, the forecast highs will tend to be at least 10 degrees above the historical average.
It will be hot over the southern portions of the Plains as well, but not as extreme relative to average—at least initially. That is likely to change next week in some areas.
As the storm in the Rockies drags a cool front onto portions of the Plains later this weekend to early next week, the heat will ease in some areas, but the heat dome will build farther to the east.
Dry ground and sunshine will boost temperatures into the 90s for an extended period from portions of the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast. The result will be a prolonged September heat wave, with highs of 90°F or greater lasting from three to seven or more consecutive days.
Because light winds will accompany the heat wave, pollutants will build up in the lower part of the atmosphere and may lead to poor air quality and pose health risks to sensitive individuals, including those with asthma or heart conditions.
In this zone from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf, the heat may take until next weekend or perhaps beyond in some areas for the heat to break down or ease back. During this time, rainfall will be limited to non-existent, which will allow drought conditions to expand or worsen in some areas.
Problems from drought will extend beyond the increased risk of brush and forest fires.
Dry conditions may aid harvest but hinder Mississippi River shipping
If it had not occurred between the conclusion of the growing season and the beginning of the fall harvest, the drought could have had much more serious consequences for crop production. The dry conditions may assist in the harvest, allowing easy access for equipment.
However, one problem that is likely to get worse in the coming weeks is the transport of grains and goods on the Mississippi River.
The Diamond Lady, a once majestic riverboat, rests with smaller boats in mud at Riverside Park Marina in Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park along the Mississippi River on October 19, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. Drought gripped the Mississippi River for the second straight year in 2023. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Water levels are once again dipping to critically low levels for tug and barge operations.
This transportation method typically represents the most cost-efficient way to move large amounts of products north and south over the Central states. When water levels are low on the Mississippi, the tugs cannot push as many barges to avoid running aground in the narrowing shipping channel and the increasing number of shoals.
While there will be brief episodes of rain in the headwaters of the Mississippi River, water levels are likely to continue to drop in the coming weeks and perhaps well into autumn unless a tropical storm or hurricane moves inland from the Gulf.
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