Centre County under heat advisory through Wednesday, with humidity, heavy showers forecast

Those coming into town for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts this week can expect warmer temperatures and showers through Wednesday, but the weather should clear up starting Thursday.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for south central Pennsylvania, including Centre County, starting noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday. It forecasts afternoon heat index values around 100 degrees, a result of high temperatures and humidity.

As of Tuesday morning, AccuWeather’s forecasts for the State College area call for high temperatures of 93 degrees Tuesday and 88 degrees Wednesday, with lows in the upper 60s and low 70s. Heavy showers and possible thunderstorms are forecast Wednesday as Tropical Rainstorm Beryl moves through the Northeast.

Although Happy Valley isn’t in Beryl’s direct path, those in the area will still feel the storm’s impact as it brushes past, said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather in State College.

“You’re going to notice the humidity tomorrow,” he said. “It’s going to be a bad hair day.”

Even with Tuesday’s possible high of 93 degrees, the two-day stretch doesn’t come close to breaking local records. The highest temperatures recorded for July 9 and July 10 were 102 and 99 degrees, respectively. Both records were set in 1936.

Luckily, temperatures are predicted to cool down by Thursday, when Arts Fest officially kicks off with the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition , which will line hundreds of artist booths across downtown and Penn State campus. Visitors can also expect less humid conditions.

“I think we’re going to notice a big difference between what (Tuesday and Wednesday) feel like and what Thursday and Friday feel like,” Kines said. “Those days should be much more tolerable.”

Forecasts call for a high of 80 degrees Thursday and 83 degrees Friday, before heating back up again with a high of 89 degrees Saturday and 90 degrees Sunday and Monday.

Tuesday’s heat advisory comes three weeks after a mid-June heat wave brought maximum temperatures in the low 90s to Happy Valley. As residents ride out the hot weather, Kines suggests people stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor work and take a dip in the nearest pool.