Western Wisconsin(WQOW) - Friday will be the last day of extremely hot weather in western Wisconsin. A passing cold front will bring in more comfortable air for this weekend, but the front may also spark some strong thunderstorms.
"There is a slight risk of severe weather for our area," said Meteorologist Nick Grunseth. "Primarily, damaging wind is the biggest threat this time of year. If thunderstorms organize, the potential is there for 60+ mph winds in a few cells. As always, a good idea to keep that weather radio on or sign up for News 18 Mobile Alerts to receive severe warning texts."
Grunseth expects showers and thunderstorms to develop Friday evening through early Saturday morning.
Regarding the heat, Friday will mark the eighth consecutive day above 90 degrees in Eau Claire. Two record high temperatures were set this week in Eau Claire. Monday's high temperature was 99 degrees, while Wednesday's high was 98. Higher humidity levels generated heat indices above 100 degrees.
"Many factors led to this hot streak of weather in our area," said Grunseth. "In short, the biggest reason why we were so warm is the strong southerly wind in the lower levels of the atmosphere. That brought up a lot of warm air and humidity from the south, and when you combine that with sunshine this time of year, the days are usually never comfortable."
The latest forecast models suggest highs in the lower 80s this weekend and most of next week. Overnight lows in the 50s will be common.
