Happy Tuesday, blog readers —
We are certainly proving some Olympic-level endurance as Kansas Citians are braving the same scorching heat that challenged world-class athletes in Paris today.
Check out the heat index across France during the early evening Tuesday.
Right now, Kansas City's heat index is sitting near 100°.
As we move through the afternoon, many Americans will certainly be sweating like the Olympians did today.
While this kind of heat isn't too far off the cuff for summer in Kansas City, this kind of heat in Paris is extremely rare.
When it comes to climate change putting its finger on this end-of-July heat wave, it comes down to overnight temperatures in Kansas City.
Our Climate Shift Index (CSI) is registering at a 5 out of 5, meaning climate change has intensified the likelihood and severity of this heat event.
Warm nights are crucial for our environment and economy.
These cooler periods allow plants to rest and recharge, while also helping to mitigate wildfires and keeping pests at bay.
Unfortunately, warmer nighttime temperatures are becoming more common, with significant consequences.
On the West Coast, the shrinking "cool" window contributes to worsening wildfire conditions and deteriorating air quality nationwide. In the Midwest, crops rely on cooler nights to store energy and grow optimally.
Warmer temperatures force plants to burn more energy, hindering growth and reducing crop yields.
Additionally, northern regions face increasing challenges from invasive species and pests as warmer nights create more hospitable conditions for these organisms.
But you will also feel it in your wallet as air conditioning costs continue to rise.
While this heat wave might not earn a gold medal for matching France's intensity, there's a silver lining in today's forecast: the heat streak is breaking a day early!
Well, kind of.
Today and tomorrow should be the worst of it. While Thursday will still be hot, we should start to see the heat index fall away from the triple-digit mark.
This is all thanks to some storms that are brewing.
Low pressure is moving through the Plains and will break down the heat dome slowly but surely. Tonight, this boundary will stay fairly stationary and mainly impact areas well to our north.
While this map is lit with multiple colors, the severe impact for Kansas City remains low-end, with 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail possible for storms that do form.
Those storms are favored for areas north of Kansas City and more so into north-central Missouri.
Here is a look at what radar would look like by Wednesday morning.
It's not that impressive, but if this boundary moves south a bit, we could see a few more storms fire overnight into early Wednesday, mainly north of Highway 36.
By Wednesday night, this system gets its act together.
We should see a trailing cold front develop — our heat relief signal.
This cold front will move through Wednesday night into Thursday morning, bringing some scattered strong to severe storms.
Here is a look at what radar could look like overnight.
Again, storm chances will favor areas north, but this time, I think we can talk about I-70 vs Highway 36.
Overall, don't skip out on watering as both of these storm chances remain low-end with their rain total potential.
So stay safe, hydrated and continue to check on your people for another few days.
Heat relief is loading, and by the end of the week, while it will still feel like summer, it will be back to a reasonable summer feel!
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