Heed the heat: Scorching temps hit region
Jun. 14—MANKATO — The Mankato area is in store for its hottest stretch of weather so far this year.
A stormy Monday morning blew through before giving way to hot, humid conditions by the afternoon. The National Weather Service forecasted even warmer 95-degree highs for Tuesday.
A 100-degree day could be in the cards Tuesday or later in the week, said NWS meteorologist Jake Beitlich.
Whether it cracks 100 or not, Tuesday is on track to be the region's hottest day yet in 2022. It likely won't hold the title for long.
"This will be the first blast of heat for the summer and it'll be followed by another one, a longer one, coming this weekend into early next week," Beitlich said.
The Mankato area's record-high temperature for June 14 is 100 degrees, recorded in 1987. Tuesday's high temperature will be about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to NWS data.
Coming off of a cold April and relatively mild May, the year's first heat wave may take some getting used to, Beitlich said.
"What we're reminding folks is to stay hydrated," he said. "Don't overexert yourself. Give your body a little time to adjust to summer."
A heat advisory will remain in effect in Blue Earth County until at least 8 p.m. Tuesday. A storm system will drop temperatures down Wednesday before they bounce right back up later in the week.
May ended up being about 1.8 degrees warmer than average. There weren't many outright hot days, though, as warmer than usual overnight lows skewed the average upward.
It also wasn't a wetter than average May, although it may have felt like it if 2021's prolonged drought conditions are still etched in people's minds. This May had about 2.5 inches of total rainfall, roughly 1 inch below average, Beitlich said.
Starting with Sunday's warmer temps and high humidity, Mankato's Tourtellotte Pool opened for the season just in time for families in need of a cooldown. The municipal facility, which has free admission, had its opening day postponed from cooler Friday to warmer Sunday.
Pool manager Justene Larsen expects it to be a busy Tuesday once it opens to the public at 1 p.m.
"Kids and families love it so I'm sure they're going to want to find somewhere to cool off," she said.
Protocols are in place and lifeguards will be on the lookout for any signs of heat stroke, she added. The facility's locker rooms are made of concrete and stone for people who want to find shade and cool down at any point.
Tourtellotte Pool is a go-to spot during the summer for Care Corner Day Care in Mankato's outings. Teacher Aaron Ites, supervising a group of children at the pool Monday, said the day care center has a system down to make sure everyone gets enough water and sunscreen throughout the day at the pool.
"Half the kids will get a water break, the other half gets sunscreen, and then we switch it," he said.
As of 1:45 p.m. Monday, Tourtellotte Pool already had 78 people seek it out. If people plan to beat the heat there Tuesday, Larsen advised them to arrive sooner rather than later before the facility reaches capacity.
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