Heat breaks 101-year-old record in north-central US
A surge of warm air that has origins in the Desert Southwest will make the first week of October feel more like July or August across parts of central United States.
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Oct 6, 2021 5:31 AM EDT
Toasty, summerlike conditions are once again in the forecast for northern Plains, and record highs for early October could be challenged.
Extreme heat roasted the northern Plains this past summer, and this trend has continued into early fall. The region felt record-breaking heat last week when Omaha, Nebraska, surpassed its Sept. 27 record of 92 by a degree last Monday, Sept. 27, and the following day when Dickinson, North Dakota, broke its record for the latest 100-degree day.
Temperatures declined slightly following the record stretch but began to reach above-average levels again over the weekend.
Parts of Montana are expected to approach record territory this week.
AccuWeather forecasters predicted the high temperature to reach 86 degrees in the Billings area on Tuesday, and it did, breaking the Oct. 5 record of 85 degrees Fahrenheit set in 1993. Temperatures also hit record levels in Bozeman and Helena, Montana, on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, temperatures in Bismarck, North Dakota, topped out at 91 F on Tuesday, which broke the daily record of 90 F the record last set in 1949.
Perhaps some of the most significant records were set on Tuesday in Dickinson, North Dakota. The mercury peaked at 92 F, exceeding the previous record of 91 F set 101 years ago. AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz explained that even if these weren't record-level temperatures, they're surely rare.
"Dickinson hadn’t hit 90 F in October since 2011 when they hit 95 F, and Williston last reached 90 F in October back in 2005," explained Benz.
Temperatures are not expected to be quite as high on Wednesday, but more records will be in jeopardy. Dickinson and Williston, North Dakota are both expected to soar to 87 F degrees. In both instances, the standing record is 86 F degrees set in 1980. Even though the forecast high of 78 F degrees in each city on Thursday will be well short of record territory, normal highs are only in the lower 60s F.
This latest round of heat is attributed to a large area of high pressure settling over the Plains this week. The high will not only be amplified due to a dip in the jet stream, according to Benz, but it will also bring in a surge of warm air from the Desert Southwest. As the desert heat moves northward and out of the Rockies, it will be enhanced even further, adding to the extreme temperatures.
Although residents are likely familiar with the heat by now, visitors from more northern areas are urged to take precautions by staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous activities when the sun is at its highest point during the day. Heat is the deadliest weather-related killer in the United States, and even in cooler conditions, hot car deaths are still frequent.
This heat will likely exasperate drought across the North Central. Over 40% of the High Plains is in severe drought while the entirety of Montana is in severe drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Billings and Helena received only 3% of their average rainfall amounts through the month of September.
"Drought continues to grip most of the northern Plains where places like Dickinson and Williston haven't received much meaningful rainfall since August," said Benz.
Due to the intense drought, the risk of wildfires will be elevated this week as heat builds. A red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for northeastern Montana and parts of Wyoming. Montana accounts for eight of the large active fires across the United States as of Monday morning, according to the National Interagency for Fire Center.
Fire weather watches are also in effect across northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. Officials in Glasgow, Montana, are urging residents to limit sparks as gusty winds can cause sparks to travel and flames to grow.
An end to the sweltering heat is in sight, according to Benz. He noted that a shot of cooler air will arrive by the weekend, which should drop temperatures closer to their seasonal averages for this time of year.
Unseasonably warm weather will shift eastward ahead of the cool blast, heading into more of the Midwest and Northeast through mid-October.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Heat breaks 101-year-old record in north-central US
A surge of warm air that has origins in the Desert Southwest will make the first week of October feel more like July or August across parts of central United States.
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Updated Oct 6, 2021 5:31 AM EDT
Toasty, summerlike conditions are once again in the forecast for northern Plains, and record highs for early October could be challenged.
Extreme heat roasted the northern Plains this past summer, and this trend has continued into early fall. The region felt record-breaking heat last week when Omaha, Nebraska, surpassed its Sept. 27 record of 92 by a degree last Monday, Sept. 27, and the following day when Dickinson, North Dakota, broke its record for the latest 100-degree day.
Temperatures declined slightly following the record stretch but began to reach above-average levels again over the weekend.
Parts of Montana are expected to approach record territory this week.
AccuWeather forecasters predicted the high temperature to reach 86 degrees in the Billings area on Tuesday, and it did, breaking the Oct. 5 record of 85 degrees Fahrenheit set in 1993. Temperatures also hit record levels in Bozeman and Helena, Montana, on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, temperatures in Bismarck, North Dakota, topped out at 91 F on Tuesday, which broke the daily record of 90 F the record last set in 1949.
Perhaps some of the most significant records were set on Tuesday in Dickinson, North Dakota. The mercury peaked at 92 F, exceeding the previous record of 91 F set 101 years ago. AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz explained that even if these weren't record-level temperatures, they're surely rare.
"Dickinson hadn’t hit 90 F in October since 2011 when they hit 95 F, and Williston last reached 90 F in October back in 2005," explained Benz.
Temperatures are not expected to be quite as high on Wednesday, but more records will be in jeopardy. Dickinson and Williston, North Dakota are both expected to soar to 87 F degrees. In both instances, the standing record is 86 F degrees set in 1980. Even though the forecast high of 78 F degrees in each city on Thursday will be well short of record territory, normal highs are only in the lower 60s F.
This latest round of heat is attributed to a large area of high pressure settling over the Plains this week. The high will not only be amplified due to a dip in the jet stream, according to Benz, but it will also bring in a surge of warm air from the Desert Southwest. As the desert heat moves northward and out of the Rockies, it will be enhanced even further, adding to the extreme temperatures.
Although residents are likely familiar with the heat by now, visitors from more northern areas are urged to take precautions by staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous activities when the sun is at its highest point during the day. Heat is the deadliest weather-related killer in the United States, and even in cooler conditions, hot car deaths are still frequent.
This heat will likely exasperate drought across the North Central. Over 40% of the High Plains is in severe drought while the entirety of Montana is in severe drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Billings and Helena received only 3% of their average rainfall amounts through the month of September.
"Drought continues to grip most of the northern Plains where places like Dickinson and Williston haven't received much meaningful rainfall since August," said Benz.
Due to the intense drought, the risk of wildfires will be elevated this week as heat builds. A red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for northeastern Montana and parts of Wyoming. Montana accounts for eight of the large active fires across the United States as of Monday morning, according to the National Interagency for Fire Center.
Fire weather watches are also in effect across northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. Officials in Glasgow, Montana, are urging residents to limit sparks as gusty winds can cause sparks to travel and flames to grow.
An end to the sweltering heat is in sight, according to Benz. He noted that a shot of cooler air will arrive by the weekend, which should drop temperatures closer to their seasonal averages for this time of year.
Unseasonably warm weather will shift eastward ahead of the cool blast, heading into more of the Midwest and Northeast through mid-October.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
Report a Typo