Excessive Heat Warning (Springfield, Joplin, Rolla: how much, house, schools)

[mrsgenealogy]

Hello, MO Friends!

I don't know how many of you have seen it but there are warnings out about the heat, suggesting we limit our outside activities in the hottest part of the day and drink plenty of fluids, excluding alcohol, of course! Here's what I found at my favorite weather site:

Special Weather Statement

Statement as of 4:10 PM CDT on August 03, 2007

... A prolonged period of hot and humid afternoon temperatures to persist through next Friday...

High pressure will continue over the Missouri Ozarks and southeast Kansas through the weekend and into late next week. Afternoon highs are expected to climb into the mid 90s each afternoon. These high temperatures will combine with dewpoint temperatures around 70 degrees to produce heat indices in the upper 90s to 105 each afternoon. (I gather this is weather-speak for "it will feel even hotter because of the humidity".)

Excessive heat can threaten your health... even when the criteria for heat advisories and excessive heat warnings have not been met. Drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcoholic beverages. The very young and elderly are especially at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Make plans for this weekend and next week to prepare for the possibility of excessive heat.

Here's what AOL's Weather Alert emailed me:
Special Weather Statement BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON- ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS- LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON- LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE- TANEY-OZARK-OREGON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT SCOTT...PITTSBURG... BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...WARSAW...COLE CAMP...VERSAILLES... ELDON...LAKE OZARK...VIENNA...NEVADA...APPLETON CITY...OSCEOLA... HERMITAGE...OSAGE BEACH...CAMDENTON...FORT LEONARD WOOD... WAYNESVILLE...ROLLA...LAMAR...EL DORADO SPRINGS...STOCKTON... BOLIVAR...BUFFALO...LEBANON...HOUSTON...CABOOL...S ALEM...JOPLIN... CARTHAGE...GREENFIELD...SPRINGFIELD...MARSHFIELD.. .ROGERSVILLE... MOUNTAIN GROVE...MANSFIELD...NEOSHO...AURORA...MOUNT VERNON... NIXA...OZARK...AVA...WEST PLAINS...WINONA...EMINENCE...ANDERSON... PINEVILLE...MONETT...CASSVILLE...KIMBERLING CITY...GALENA... BRANSON...FORSYTH...GAINESVILLE...THEODOSIA...THAY ER...ALTON

410 PM CDT FRI AUG 3 2007 ...A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES TO PERSIST THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY... HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO LATE NEXT WEEK. AFTERNOON HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE MID 90S EACH AFTERNOON. THESE HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL COMBINE WITH DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES AROUND 70 DEGREES TO PRODUCE HEAT INDICES IN THE UPPER 90S TO 105 EACH AFTERNOON. EXCESSIVE HEAT CAN THREATEN YOUR HEALTH...EVEN WHEN THE CRITERIA FOR HEAT ADVISORIES AND EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS HAVE NOT BEEN MET. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS AND AVOID ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. THE VERY YOUNG AND ELDERLY ARE ESPECIALLY AT RISK FOR HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE. MAKE PLANS FOR THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEK TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF EXCESSIVE HEAT.

What's that saying? "Forewarned is forearmed!" Take care, everyone!

MrsG

[Indy4570]

Well I guess the garden will be dead when we get back to the mountain

[FireballFL]

Wow, and everyone says Florida is hot in the summer. Such a shame here. Today, our high temp was 88 degrees! People say that Florida summers are a downside, but it is not that bad, I guess, especially when you compare it to other places in the country.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Yep, had the same warning here in mid-mo. Was 98 at one time today. The typical: hot, hazy, humid weather just about every August...Will have to water garden and birds all next week. Yep, I said 'birds'. When I turn the sprinkler on and the water goes over to some tall bushes in my garden, it is the most delightful vision.

First time that I did this, I thought it was just a fluke. Had stood there with the hose in my hand and was watering some flowers in the late afternoon. Held the hose up high and sprinkled a tall white pine just for fun. First thing I knew, about 4 tuffted titmouse birds landed on some branches and spread their wings and basically flitted back and forth over the branches and chirped.

So now I just use the sprinkler and watch the antics of goldfinch, rose breasted grossbeaks, wrens, nuthatches, chickadees and others enjoy the water. My husband thinks it is amusing to watch them fly back and forth from one tree to another and from one bush to another. Just like a few kids in front of a fireplug, I guess. So, yep, I water the birds

[MrsMo]

Just in time for the kids to go back to school. Thank heavens we voted to air condition the schools a couple years ago. I was just out on my deck and can normally hear a train in the distance this time of night, but all there is tonight is the hum of everyone's AC running.

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by Indy4570

Well I guess the garden will be dead when we get back to the mountain

Awww! Sorry to hear that, Indy! Come to think of it, though, it doesn't have to be very hot for that to happen. I mean, how long will it have been without water?

Originally Posted by FireballFL

Wow, and everyone says Florida is hot in the summer. Such a shame here. Today, our high temp was 88 degrees! People say that Florida summers are a downside, but it is not that bad, I guess, especially when you compare it to other places in the country.

We've had a wonderful summer so far, FireballFL. The serious heat just hit and I've heard it usually lasts about 6 weeks. The thing I've noticed, though, is that it gets hot everywhere! I mean, Colorado, Montana, Washington, Chicago...places I would not expect it to be as warm as all the more southern states...have all been experiencing temps in the 90's. One of the things I love about MO is that while we have all four seasons, we don't get as cold as the northern states and the cold season isn't as long, either.

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Yep, had the same warning here in mid-mo. Was 98 at one time today. The typical: hot, hazy, humid weather just about every August...Will have to water garden and birds all next week. Yep, I said 'birds'. When I turn the sprinkler on and the water goes over to some tall bushes in my garden, it is the most delightful vision.

First time that I did this, I thought it was just a fluke. Had stood there with the hose in my hand and was watering some flowers in the late afternoon. Held the hose up high and sprinkled a tall white pine just for fun. First thing I knew, about 4 tuffted titmouse birds landed on some branches and spread their wings and basically flitted back and forth over the branches and chirped.

So now I just use the sprinkler and watch the antics of goldfinch, rose breasted grossbeaks, wrens, nuthatches, chickadees and others enjoy the water. My husband thinks it is amusing to watch them fly back and forth from one tree to another and from one bush to another. Just like a few kids in front of a fireplug, I guess. So, yep, I water the birds

Oh, NVoyager! I'll have to tell my husband about watering the birds! What a great idea! We have two birdbaths and five bird feeders plus two hummingbird feeders so as you can imagine, we see a lot of birds! He sometimes waters the yard with a sprinkler but we haven't noticed if it's hitting the trees or the birds are playing in it. He spends a lot of time out in the yard watering and starting new plants. The other day, he built two dove boxes and put them up in a couple of our biggest trees so I guess it's pretty obvious how much we love our little place in the country and all the critters that come with it! Next year, we want to be sure to plant more plants for all the different butterflies we see so watering the birds doesn't sound at all far fetched!

Originally Posted by MrsMo

Just in time for the kids to go back to school. Thank heavens we voted to air condition the schools a couple years ago. I was just out on my deck and can normally hear a train in the distance this time of night, but all there is tonight is the hum of everyone's AC running.

Bless your heart for votin' for AC in the schools, MrsMo! I can't imagine those kids being able to concentrate or study without it! They go back to school so early here in MO! In CA, they don't go back until the week after Labor Day.

[kareybear]

Oh Great!!!! I am moving that week.... Just what I need when I am in the middle of the move. Hopefully everything will be green when I get there too. I am going to be house hunting.....What a perfect timing for me.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Originally Posted by kareybear

Oh Great!!!! I am moving that week.... Just what I need when I am in the middle of the move. Hopefully everything will be green when I get there too. I am going to be house hunting.....What a perfect timing for me.

Green???If we don't get some steady rain soon, I will have to spray paint my lawn

High 90s all this coming week. We also voted for AC for our schools. Thank heavens Hope by the time that you go house hunting, it will be better. Good luck to you.

[mamagator54]

Last August when I was in MO (actually this same week) the thermometer in the truck read over 100 every day.
Right now I'm in Indiana packing our belongings and I woke up this morning to the sound of a nice gentle rain.
Even though I am missing MO, I am not missing the heat.

[da jammer]

I know what I'll be doing the next coupla days!