Dangerous heat wave persists as Alberto causes coastal flooding

The country experienced a mixed bag of weather conditions this week as a heat wave rolled over portions of the Northeast and Southwest while parts of the South were underwater. 

A blistering heat wave stretched from the Midwest to the East coast hitting more than 135 million people. Heat warnings were issued as dangerous temperatures with heat indexes above 100 degrees precipitated cancellations of outdoor activities. 

The National Weather Service predicts the heat wave will peak by the weekend.

Alberto, the first named tropical storm of the season, became a tropical depression and moved inland over Mexico. Cities and towns along the Gulf coast of the U.S. experienced flooding.

Drought is quickly making a return to the continental U.S. as 12 points have been added to the category of some form of drought in the last two weeks.Tropical rains washed away the entrenched moderate to severe drought that had covered southern Florida while abnormally dry conditions in the northeast persisted.  

In the south, the drought expanded near the Mississippi River as well as parts of western Arkansas and portions of the “I” states. Heavy rain that fell in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma continued northeast to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The West remains dry but New Mexico is drier than normal increasing the risk of wildfires.

The Climate Prediction Center's 6-10 day outlook favors a continuation of above normal temperatures for the vast majority of the country.

For Market to Market, I’m David Miller.

contact: miller@iowapbs.org