The National Weather Service's Twin Cities office issued an Extreme Heat Watch for Bloomington and the metro early Friday morning, covering the stretch from noon Saturday through 9 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday's forecast calls for a high near 94°F with heat index values climbing as high as 102, followed by a high near 96°F Sunday and 95°F Monday, according to the weather service's forecast for Bloomington. Mostly cloudy skies should clear by midmorning Saturday, giving way to hot, humid conditions with a chance of overnight thunderstorms.
It's the latest in a run of dangerous heat this summer. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources logged a heat dome over the state from July 11 through July 20, when the Twin Cities strung together 10 consecutive days above 90°F — the third-longest such streak on record, behind only 1948 and 1936.
Health officials' advice for stretches like this hasn't changed: stay hydrated, limit time outdoors during peak afternoon heat, check on elderly neighbors and anyone without reliable air conditioning, and never leave kids or pets in a parked car. Heat exhaustion symptoms — dizziness, nausea, feeling unwell — can progress to heat stroke, a medical emergency marked by confusion, fainting or seizures that calls for 911.