Upstate NY could feel hotter than 100 degrees; heat alert issued

Heat advisory in Upstate New York

The heat index could soar past 100 degrees Thursday afternoon in Upstate New York. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- It could feel hotter than 100 degrees on Thursday afternoon in parts of Upstate New York as heat and humidity soar.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Central New York, the Southern Tier, and the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys, where the heat will be greatest. The advisory, in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., urges people to avoid strenuous activity outdoors and to seek shade or air-conditioning.

The weather service said the heat index, the combination of heat and humidity that make it hard for the body to cool off, could rise over 100 degrees.

The combination of temperatures in the 90s and a “robust plume of deep moisture” moving in from the southwest could also generate drenching thunderstorms late Thursday and into Friday, the weather service said.

“If the rainfall rates are high enough, some flooding is possible, especially in steep terrain areas and urban locations,” the weather service said. Much of Upstate is abnormally dry, which will allow the soil to soak up rain and limit the chance of flooding of creeks and rivers.

There’s a 15% chance of rainfall heavy enough to cause flash flooding in Western and Central New York, according to the weather service.

The heat will start moving in today, with highs in the upper 80s. Humidity builds tonight and will become oppressive by Thursday afternoon.

The temperatures and rainfall will depend upon on how quickly clouds move in on Thursday. More clouds earlier in the day could suppress temperatures slightly, but if the clouds hold off until later in the day, there will be more heat and humidity to fuel thunderstorms.

“A balance of morning heat and scattered clouds would lead to a combination of high heat and elevated humidity,” the weather service said.

Heat advisory issued for Upstate New York

Counties shaded in orange are under a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday as heat and humidity soar in Upstate New York.

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