A heat wave is expected to hit the Tri-State area next week before summer officially arrives.
Heat indexes could reach 100 degrees next week, according to National Weather Service meteorologists for the region.
The stretch of hot, humid days is forecast to start Monday, though the main concern for heat is expected to be mid to late next week, meteorologist Jeremy Geiger said. Geiger is with the Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office whose coverage area includes Washington County and West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
When temperatures are in the upper 90s, there's a good chance the heat index could be close to 100, Geiger said.
The threshold for a heat advisory in the local Tri-State area, including Washington County and Franklin County, Pa., is a 100 degree heat index for two or more hours, said meteorologist Craig Evanego with the State College, Pa., Forecast Office.
Evanego said southern Franklin County could be approaching a heat index of 100 degrees Tuesday through Thursday.
Heat advisories also can be issued for an event anticipated earlier in the season than usual, Geiger said.
Typically this area sees such high heat indexes in late July and early August, but it's not unheard of for one to arrive in June, meteorologists said.
Washington County emergency management officials are "closely monitoring the forecast and will take necessary actions to ensure public safety," spokesperson Danielle Weaver wrote in an email Thursday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April a Heat and Health Initiative that includes an experimental HeatRisk Forecast Tool that shows parts of Washington County, Franklin County and Berkeley County, W.Va., will be at major risk of heat-related impacts on Tuesday and Wednesday. That tool also showed part of western Berkeley County being at extreme risk on Wednesday.
As of press time, the site only went as far out as Wednesday.
Major risk, according to the site, includes to people exposed to the sun and active or who are in a heat-sensitive group. There also is a danger to people who aren't properly hydrated or cooled.
"For those without air conditioning, living spaces can become deadly during the afternoon and evening. Fans and open windows will not be as effective," and there could be power outages based on increased demand for electricity, the site states.
The site advises canceling outdoor activities during the heat or moving them to cooler parts of the day.
An extreme risk is described as a "level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief (that) affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration."
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What's behind the heat wave expected for local Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia next week?
Evanego said there is a big ridge of high pressure in the upper levels and at the surface coming east from the Plains.
That high pressure system will help pump warm air up from the Gulf of Mexico region, he said.
Expect a lot of sun and a "kind of bake," Evanego said. Not a lot of clouds are expected.
What's the forecast for this weekend in the Hagerstown, Greencastle areas?
This weekend is expected to be nice, with temperatures in the low to mid 80s and comfortable humidity, Evanego said.
On Monday, temperatures will get back up to the 90s with humidity creeping up.
Advice for heat waves
Heat can affect everyone and is one of the leading weather-related causes of death, according to the National Weather Service's site for heat safety tips and resources.
Last year, nationwide, 29 children died of vehicular heatstroke and two children have already died from that this year, according to NoHeatStroke.org, with data from Jan Null with San Jose State University's Department of Meteorology and Climate Science.
Among the tips Meritus Health provides to prevent heat-related illnesses are:
- Stay hydrated by drinking water through the day even if you don't feel thirsty. Caffeinated beverages can lead to dehydration, so avoid those.
- Stay indoors if possible and limit outdoor activities during peak heat hours, which tend to be from around 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- If you have to be outside, seek shade, reduce physical activity and take frequent breaks. Wear clothes that are lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting.
- If you don't have air conditioning, seek public places with air conditioning such as malls, libraries and community centers.
- Check on young children, older neighbors and folks you know with health conditions to make sure they are OK.
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Washington County's Office of Emergency Management also has heat-related tips online.
Among them are not to rely on fans for primary cooling because they create a "false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses."
The county tip list recommends covering windows with drapes or shades and other actions to keep heat out of homes.
If you haven't already, make sure your air conditioning system is working properly, Evanego said.
People needing relief from the heat are welcome to come to the Robinwood Professional Center off Medical Campus Road and sit in the atrium during peak heat hours, Meritus Health spokesperson Joe Deinlein said in an email.
"The atrium has tables and chairs, access to water and restrooms, and it has public WiFi," Deinlein wrote. There's also a County Commuter bus line that stops at the center.
Folks often seek out pools when it's hot.
The pool at Martin L. "Marty" Snook Park off Halfway Boulevard has been closed part of this week, with repairs to a crack in the pool floor completed, Weaver said Thursday morning. The pool was scheduled for inspection before it could reopen.
County government announced Friday morning that the pool will reopen at 1 p.m. Friday, June 14.
