This weekend you can turn off your stove and make a fried egg for breakfast on your driveway. Indiana is in the heart of what meteorologists are calling a "heat dome," which will increase temperatures in the state significantly this weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for much of the state from 10 a.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Saturday. The heat index will reach a boiling 105 degrees in the afternoon, as a combination of oppressive heat and humidity are expected.
Indiana cities are responding to the potentially deadly situation by opening cooling station across the state. Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Gary are some of the cities where people can seek refuge from the heat.
What Is A Heat Dome?
Hoosiers are quite familiar with a heat wave. Just like your second cousins that you see for a week every July, heat-waves cause a slight nuisance in daily life. Temperatures reach the 90's, and suddenly the friend with the backyard pool is the most popular kid on the block.
Heat domes, however, are different.
A heat dome is a high-pressure system in the mid-to-upper atmosphere that pushes warm air downwards. The air, in high pressure masses, moves counter-clockwise, meaning hot and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico region will move northwards. This heat dome is particularly massive.
The heat dome will be particularly miserable in the Midwest due to a phenomenon as Midwestern as green bean casserole, colloquially called "corn sweat."
Corn sweat is an example of evapotranspiration, in which moisture leaves a plant, in this case corn, and evaporates in the air.
The Washington Post reports that in areas with "vast swaths of any plant, corn in particular," humidity is bound to be high. Thus, although the heat dome is not a direct result of corn sweat, it definitely is not making the already steamy conditions any more tolerable.
Five years ago to the day, the Midwest suffered a heat dome. The 2011 heat wave was dangerous for both humans and livestock, and destroyed crops.
High temperatures and high humidity lead to a risk in dehydration. Men are more susceptible to dehydration because they sweat more, however it is still important for everyone to stay hydrated as the heat dome envelopes Indiana.
