TOP LOCAL NEWS 'Heat dome' will make holiday week a scorcher

Highs will be in low 90s, but heat index could hit 105 degrees on Fourth.

Scorching temperatures await Dayton residents hoping to enjoy fireworks or spend time outside this Fourth of July week, part of the second “heat dome” that has affected the area this year.

The heat dome — made up of a large area of high pressure that keeps temperatures hot even at night — will affect the area throughout the week, Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Kirstie Zontini said.

Heat, Zontini said, is one of the most dangerous weather phenomena. From 1988 to 2017, more people died on average than from heat any other weather hazard, including tornadoes and floods.

Highs will hover in the low 90s, but the heat index could soar to more than 100 degrees Wednesday and Thursday this week, according to a Storm Center 7 forecast. On the Fourth of July, the index could reach 105 degrees.

Even a cold front moving

through the area Monday into today won’t change the temperatures, Zontini said. A high of 90 is expected for most of the week — higher than the average July temperatures of around 80 degrees.

The cold front was expected to create isolated downpours at times, but Zontini said the front would likely wash out of the area by Wednesday to create a mostly dry Independence Day.

The extreme heat had officials planning to keep event attendees hydrated. Duke Lunsford, the executive director of the Americana Festival in Centerville, encouraged attendees to drink plenty.

“We have water up and down Main Street,” Lunsford said.

He added the vendors at the festival, which will take place on July Fourth, will be selling and giving out water to attendees.

“Everybody should stay hydrated,” Lunsford said.

Zontini encouraged people to stay hydrated and take breaks from the heat.

According to the National Weather Service, it is never safe to leave a child, pet or disabled person in a locked car, no matter the temperature. The first toddler death of 2018 occurred in February, according to the service.

People should also make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, as a sunburn can affect the body’s ability to dissipate heat, the NWS advises.

Outdoor Independence Day festivities are planned across the Miami Valley on both the third and the fourth of July, including in Dayton, Fairborn, Vandalia and a variety of other cities across the area. Events include parades, block parties and fireworks shows.

The heat will continue late into the week, and another cold front is expected to bring possible rain and storms to the area Thursday and Friday, Zontini said.

A high of 90 is expected for most of the week — higher than the average July temperatures of around 80 degrees.

TY GREENLEES / STAFF Dayton resident Chaquinta Daniel takes in the cool fountains at RiverScape on Monday as temperatures climbed into the upper 80s. Daniel took her 5-year-old daughter along so they could both cool off. Expect highs in the low 90s this week, higher than the average July temps of around 80, forecasters say.