Excessive Heat Warning is in effect through Saturday

An Excessive Heat Warning is now in effect through Saturday for most of the Commonwealth, when late morning through early evening heat index values will commonly range 108 - 115 degrees (in the shade). If you're in the sun, it can feel another 10 to 15 degrees hotter on top of that heat index value because of the added sensory warming from radiation (sunshine) heating on your skin.

If you do have outdoor activities that need to be done into the weekend, please complete your tasks (when possible) before 10AM each day. Even in the evening, the heat index will still be dangerous!
Click here to learn more about the Heat Index and how to remain safe during the next few dangerously hot and humid days.
Stay with CBS6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm.
--Meteorologist Carrie Rose

Excessive heat will affect most of Virginia

As expected, the Excessive Heat Watch has been expanded farther into central Virginia, and for a longer time-frame. The Watch now covers most of central, west-central, southeast, and northern Virginia from Thursday through Saturday, when the combination of higher air temperatures and rising humidity levels will lead to common heat index values of 105-110 degrees (in the shade).

We are just one state of many in the nation to be affected by this large upper-level ridge bringing dangerous heat and humidity. Here's a map of every state under some form of Excessive Heat Warning (pink), Excessive Heat Watch (dark red), or Heat Advisory (orange) as of Wednesday morning:

Although we will come close to record high temperatures Friday and Saturday (we are forecasting highs around 100 degrees), it's the record warm low temperatures that are in real danger of falling. This Wednesday morning, we've already cooled below that record warm low temperature for this date (July 20th), so we won't break that record. But the rest of the week, overnight low temperatures will be very close to the records:

You may recall that last week we set our all-time record warmest low temperature in Richmond at 81 degrees on July 12, 2011.
--Meteorologist Carrie Rose (Click "Like" here to join the weather conversation on my Facebook page).
Stay with CBS6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm!

Excessive Heat Watch is in effect for Thursday

In anticipation of the dangerous combination of high heat and humidity at the end of this week from a broadening high pressure ridge, an Excessive Heat Watch is in effect for Thursday's expected heat indices (in the shade) of 105-110 degrees. This watch may be expanded into more of central Virginia, but here's the map of affected counties and cities for now:

Heat indices by Friday could be as high as 115 degrees in central Virginia, including the Richmond Metro, and won't return below 100 until next week. Click here to learn more about the Heat Index and how to stay safe through this weekend with the approaching dangerous heat wave. Stay with CBS 6, we'll keep you ahead of the storm!
--Meteorologist Carrie Rose