The heat wave baking Minnesota and Wisconsin produced record-breaking temperatures across both states, caused roads to buckle and led to thunderstorm warnings in the Boundary Waters area.
Temperatures reached 102 in Milwaukee and Madison, breaking previous records of 98 degrees in both cities. Milwaukee's old record was set in 1990, while Madison's record stood since 1955.
In Monroe, the high temperature was 100 Wednesday, 16 degrees warmer than the average of 84 degrees for July 4 and just two degrees shy of the record 102 degrees set in 1911. (The low temperature recorded for July 4 was a blustery 44 set in 1967.)
New Glarus recorded a high of 105 Wednesday, according to WMTV in Madison.
Temperatures topped 100 in a swath covering West Bend, Watertown, Janesville, Racine and Kenosha.
Monroe's high is forecast to be 102 today, July 5 and 99 on Friday, July 6. The National Weather Service issued a statement at 10 p.m. Wednesday, warning residents that the heat wave will continue through the end of the week, with heat index readings reaching up to 110 degrees throughout all of southern Wisconsin today and Friday.
Temperatures are expected to cool to 90 on Saturday, July 7 before returning to more seasonable marks in the mid-80s Sunday, July 8 and into early next week.
Both Madison and Milwaukee are likely to break century-old records today, said Marc Kavinsky, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The old records for July 5 were 98 in Madison and 96 in Milwaukee, both set in 1911, he said.
Temperatures hit 101 in Minneapolis on Wednesday, breaking the old record of 100 set on the same day in 1949, according to the National Weather Service. St. Cloud got up to 97, one degree higher than the record set in 1988.
About two-thirds of Minnesota was covered by advisories for heat or excessive heat most of the day. Temperatures were expected to range from 95 to 100 across both states through Friday.
A number of communities canceled fireworks shows because of hot and dry conditions, while others said they will proceed with caution.
The southeastern Wisconsin city of Greenfield said its show would go on, but as a precaution officials spent 48 hours hosing down the park where the program would be held.
"The grass here is relatively short," Greenfield Fire Chief Jon Cohn told WDJT-TV. "We don't have tall grass to contend with. Each community has to decide what's best for themselves."
A severe-thunderstorm watch was in effect Wednesday evening across northeastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the Boundary Waters region near the state's northeastern border. The storms came on the 13th anniversary of a powerful storm that flattened thousands of acres of trees in the area.
The heat also caused ongoing problems on Wisconsin's roadways.
On Tuesday, high temperatures caused roads to buckle in Chippewa, Columbia, Dane and Lincoln counties. All lanes reopened by Wednesday morning, although additional problems arose in the afternoon.
Two lanes of U.S. Highway12/18 in Dane County were closed for more than an hour due to what the state Department of Transportation called "pavement blow-ups." And traffic on Interstate 39 in Columbia County was diverted onto the shoulder for three hours due to additional pavement buckling.
Also Wednesday, authorities in Minnesota's Beltrami County provided an update after straight-line winds gusted to 80 mph and knocked out power to 90 percent of Bemidji at one point. The sheriff's office said several mobile homes were shifted off their foundations, and an aerial assessment confirmed widespread damage to trees.
Temperatures reached 102 in Milwaukee and Madison, breaking previous records of 98 degrees in both cities. Milwaukee's old record was set in 1990, while Madison's record stood since 1955.
In Monroe, the high temperature was 100 Wednesday, 16 degrees warmer than the average of 84 degrees for July 4 and just two degrees shy of the record 102 degrees set in 1911. (The low temperature recorded for July 4 was a blustery 44 set in 1967.)
New Glarus recorded a high of 105 Wednesday, according to WMTV in Madison.
Temperatures topped 100 in a swath covering West Bend, Watertown, Janesville, Racine and Kenosha.
Monroe's high is forecast to be 102 today, July 5 and 99 on Friday, July 6. The National Weather Service issued a statement at 10 p.m. Wednesday, warning residents that the heat wave will continue through the end of the week, with heat index readings reaching up to 110 degrees throughout all of southern Wisconsin today and Friday.
Temperatures are expected to cool to 90 on Saturday, July 7 before returning to more seasonable marks in the mid-80s Sunday, July 8 and into early next week.
Both Madison and Milwaukee are likely to break century-old records today, said Marc Kavinsky, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The old records for July 5 were 98 in Madison and 96 in Milwaukee, both set in 1911, he said.
Temperatures hit 101 in Minneapolis on Wednesday, breaking the old record of 100 set on the same day in 1949, according to the National Weather Service. St. Cloud got up to 97, one degree higher than the record set in 1988.
About two-thirds of Minnesota was covered by advisories for heat or excessive heat most of the day. Temperatures were expected to range from 95 to 100 across both states through Friday.
A number of communities canceled fireworks shows because of hot and dry conditions, while others said they will proceed with caution.
The southeastern Wisconsin city of Greenfield said its show would go on, but as a precaution officials spent 48 hours hosing down the park where the program would be held.
"The grass here is relatively short," Greenfield Fire Chief Jon Cohn told WDJT-TV. "We don't have tall grass to contend with. Each community has to decide what's best for themselves."
A severe-thunderstorm watch was in effect Wednesday evening across northeastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the Boundary Waters region near the state's northeastern border. The storms came on the 13th anniversary of a powerful storm that flattened thousands of acres of trees in the area.
The heat also caused ongoing problems on Wisconsin's roadways.
On Tuesday, high temperatures caused roads to buckle in Chippewa, Columbia, Dane and Lincoln counties. All lanes reopened by Wednesday morning, although additional problems arose in the afternoon.
Two lanes of U.S. Highway12/18 in Dane County were closed for more than an hour due to what the state Department of Transportation called "pavement blow-ups." And traffic on Interstate 39 in Columbia County was diverted onto the shoulder for three hours due to additional pavement buckling.
Also Wednesday, authorities in Minnesota's Beltrami County provided an update after straight-line winds gusted to 80 mph and knocked out power to 90 percent of Bemidji at one point. The sheriff's office said several mobile homes were shifted off their foundations, and an aerial assessment confirmed widespread damage to trees.