‘Heat Dome’ Could Bring Record High Temps to St. Cloud Late July
Hot enough for ya? Mother Nature might be turning up the thermostat on us once again in Central Minnesota.
Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard shared a forecast model on his Facebook feed this week showing that record high temperatures could be coming to Minnesota via a "heat dome" the last week of July.
This could be an outlier but I’ve been watching the models consistently hint at the heat dome redeveloping in our region mid to late month. Definitely something to watch over this week where it migrates. STAY TUNED…
(I should note, this would be a new all time record high for MSP… normally one would laugh, but this year…?)
The forecast model showed temperatures in the Twin Cities listed as 109-111. Here in the St. Cloud area we would be looking at temperatures around 104.
What exactly is a heat dome, and why is it causing such high temps in our state? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
A heat dome occurs when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap. As prevailing winds from the PAcific Ocean move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves.
In Sundgaard's model he shared, there won't be much relief for most of the Midwest. The Dakotas and Nebraska all had similar predicted temperatures for July 26th to Minnesota's. Brace for impact, it could be a hot one towards the end of July.