Extreme Heat Warning Issued for Central Minnesota, Effective Through Thursday

(KNSI) – Central Minnesota is bracing for a stretch of dangerous heat after the National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Warning covering Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Morrison, Wright and dozens of other counties across the state.

The warning, issued by the Weather Service’s Twin Cities office in Chanhassen early Monday morning, is in effect until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday. The warning covers a large swath of Minnesota along with parts of northwest and west central Wisconsin.

According to the Weather Service’s Hazardous Weather Outlook, high temperatures will be in the 90s, but when factoring in humidity, heat index values could climb as high as 102 degrees starting Monday afternoon. The dangerous heat will hold through the middle of the week.

Forecasters expect little relief overnight as temperatures are predicted to stay in the lower 70s after dark.

Officials say the bigger danger isn’t any single hot day, but the cumulative effect of several in a row. Prolonged heat with little overnight cooling makes it harder for the body to recover, raising the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke the longer the warning stays in effect.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Anyone showing signs – confusion, hot and dry skin, a rapid pulse or loss of consciousness – should be treated as a 911 call.

The Weather Service is urging central Minnesota residents to take precautions through the week:

Drink plenty of fluids and limit time outdoors during peak heat.
Stay in an air-conditioned space when possible.
Check on relatives and neighbors, especially those without air conditioning.
Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle — interior temperatures can reach lethal levels within minutes.

For those working outdoors, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas. Anyone overcome by the heat should be moved to a cool, shaded location immediately.

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