Extreme Heat Warning Ends Early, Heat Advisory Takes Over Through Thursday

(KNSI) – The National Weather Service has shortened the timeline on this week’s dangerous heat, ending the Extreme Heat Warning earlier than first expected and shifting the region into a less severe Heat Advisory overnight into Thursday.

The Weather Service’s Twin Cities office in Chanhassen issued the update Wednesday afternoon. The Extreme Heat Warning now runs through 9:00 p.m. Wednesday. A Heat Advisory then takes effect from 9:00 p.m. Wednesday through 9:00 p.m. Thursday.

The warning and advisory cover a wide stretch of central Minnesota, including Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Wright Counties.

Heat index values could climb as high as 100 degrees through this evening under the warning, easing slightly to a peak of 95 degrees Thursday under the advisory.

Forecasters say the bigger danger isn’t any single hot day, but the cumulative toll of consecutive days of heat. The longer the stretch continues, officials say, the higher the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

The Weather Service is urging central Minnesota residents to take precautions through Thursday evening such as:

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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