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PITTSBURG —
The Four State Area is set to get a slight temperature reprieve over the weekend starting around Thursday evening, officials from the National Weather Service in Springfield said. But despite the brief respite from the heat, which should lower daytime highs to the mid- to upper-80s, the long term outlook for temperatures appears to point to a longer-than-average period of above average temperatures and lower-than-average moisture.
“That’s not terribly good news,” meteorologist Ryan Kardell said.
Wildfires will remain a problem, Kardell said, and grass fires have sprung up all over the area.
“But the other side is that with so much heat, it’s not as oppressive as when we have more precipitation,” he said.
Humid or not, prolonged heat doesn’t sound like a great prospect for outdoor workers. Pittsburg’s road crews, who labor over hot asphalt every day during the week, have it especially rough. The asphalt is between 350 and 400 degrees when it is poured, Public Works Director Bill Beasley said. Asphalt paver operator Red Rhuems said he wasn’t sure exactly how hot it gets on top his machine, but he was clear it isn’t for the faint of heart.
“It gets hot enough,” Rhuems said, toweling off his forehead from atop the paver as he waited for a delivery of asphalt. “It’s been tough. The heat really takes a toll on you.”
Rhuems said his crew starts early in the morning, between 6 and 7 a.m., and that he makes them take extra measure to prevent heat exhaustion and stroke. Rhuems’ crew finished paving a section of 11th Street earlier in the day.
“They buy us Gatorade and we find the nearest shade tree when we get a chance,” Rhuems said.
Josh Bryant, one of Rhuems’ crew members, said they go through at a large cooler of Gatorade every day.
“It depends on how many of us are drinking on it,” he said.
The heat may be oppressive, he said, but it’s not entirely unbearable.
“You kind of get used to it after a while,” he said.
Beasley said his crews have switched to the summer schedule, which means they start at 6 a.m. and work until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. They get Fridays off.
“They get one day where they don’t have to be in the sun,” Beasley said last month. “We started the first of June and we’ll probably go that way until September.”
Beasley said he was aware of the early start to the summer’s heat.
“Last year we didn’t start until July,” he said.
This weekend’s cool down will be brief, Kardell.
“It will start to warm up again by the middle of next week,” he said. “It’ll be a nice little break.”
The Four State Area is set to get a slight temperature reprieve over the weekend starting around Thursday evening, officials from the National Weather Service in Springfield said. But despite the brief respite from the heat, which should lower daytime highs to the mid- to upper-80s, the long term outlook for temperatures appears to point to a longer-than-average period of above average temperatures and lower-than-average moisture.
“That’s not terribly good news,” meteorologist Ryan Kardell said.
Wildfires will remain a problem, Kardell said, and grass fires have sprung up all over the area.
“But the other side is that with so much heat, it’s not as oppressive as when we have more precipitation,” he said.
Humid or not, prolonged heat doesn’t sound like a great prospect for outdoor workers. Pittsburg’s road crews, who labor over hot asphalt every day during the week, have it especially rough. The asphalt is between 350 and 400 degrees when it is poured, Public Works Director Bill Beasley said. Asphalt paver operator Red Rhuems said he wasn’t sure exactly how hot it gets on top his machine, but he was clear it isn’t for the faint of heart.
“It gets hot enough,” Rhuems said, toweling off his forehead from atop the paver as he waited for a delivery of asphalt. “It’s been tough. The heat really takes a toll on you.”
Rhuems said his crew starts early in the morning, between 6 and 7 a.m., and that he makes them take extra measure to prevent heat exhaustion and stroke. Rhuems’ crew finished paving a section of 11th Street earlier in the day.
“They buy us Gatorade and we find the nearest shade tree when we get a chance,” Rhuems said.
Josh Bryant, one of Rhuems’ crew members, said they go through at a large cooler of Gatorade every day.
“It depends on how many of us are drinking on it,” he said.
The heat may be oppressive, he said, but it’s not entirely unbearable.
“You kind of get used to it after a while,” he said.
Beasley said his crews have switched to the summer schedule, which means they start at 6 a.m. and work until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. They get Fridays off.
“They get one day where they don’t have to be in the sun,” Beasley said last month. “We started the first of June and we’ll probably go that way until September.”
Beasley said he was aware of the early start to the summer’s heat.
“Last year we didn’t start until July,” he said.
This weekend’s cool down will be brief, Kardell.
“It will start to warm up again by the middle of next week,” he said. “It’ll be a nice little break.”
