Most of Kentucky has endured persistent heat for weeks

Published 1:54 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – If you think it’s been hot and sticky for a long time, you are right, according to data gathered by the Kentucky Mesonet, a statewide automated weather and climate monitoring network, based at Western Kentucky University.

In a social media post, the Kentucky Mesonet says, “The dew point (a degree measurement of moisture in the air) has reached at least 70 every day for weeks at some sites, dating back to early June in some cases! Air becomes saturated with 100 percent relative humidity when the air temperature is cooled to the dew point, thus, the air temp can never fall below that of the dew point. For this reason, air temperatures have not slipped much below 70 since June for many. This may have you adjusting the thermostat in your home to keep cooler at night.”

A look at the map provided by the Kentucky Mesonet, which accompanies this story, you’ll notice that there are a few locations in the state where the number of consecutive days with dew points above 70 degrees is only in the single digits. Throughout Kentucky, the consecutive days with dew points above 70 range from the middle 20s, to the upper 40s.

An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect until Wednesday evening for western Kentucky and four counties in the northeast, centered around the Ashland area, where the heat index could reach up to 110 or more. The rest of the state is under a Heat Advisory, with a heat index expected of 105 or higher.

If you must work outdoors, the National Weather Service says to drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks and try to save more strenuous work until it gets closer to sunset. They also urge people to check up on relatives and neighbors who are considered “at risk,” and to make sure outdoor pets have plenty of water and shade. They add, never leave any living being, be it a pet or a person, in a parked car. It doesn’t take long for the inside of a car to reach 140 degrees.

The good news is temperatures should start to moderate on Thursday, as a cold front drops into the state.