Minnesotans Rolling With Extreme Heat, Tropical Humidity
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesotans are dealing severe weather, extreme heat and tropical humidity Friday.
Temperatures reached more 90 degrees in the metro, but it felt more like more than 100 degrees. A Heat Advisory is in effect for the second day in a row.
There are about 16,000 young soccer players from 22 different countries at Blaine's National Sports Center during the Target USA Cup. A yellow flag warning is in effect Friday, which means players are taking a two-minute water breaks in the middle of each half. There are unlimited substitutions in these games, which necessary in this dangerous heat.
Organizers tell WCCO-TV they have only delayed games twice in tournament history, so the players out here are going to have to stick it out.
Young soccer players are not the only ones working hard in the heat. We spoke to some roofers in Blaine who say they rather have heat than rain.
"When we get the intermittent showers [in the] middle of the day, because of the heat that throws a wrench in our system," said Walker Roofing field supervisor Mateo Gutierrez. "Everybody stays hydrated, we check on each other, we pace ourselves out throughout the day to make sure that we can get the job done and everybody's safe."
Gutierrez says they make the call about whether or not to work at 6 a.m.
"It's tough. It's a day-by-day thing. We wake up 5 a.m., we start watching the news, watching all the weather reports," Gutierrez said.
The heat seems to be scaring customers away from a garage sale up the road, but Jillian Reiner is willing to stick it out to make a sale.
"I've just been keeping [my mini fan] right next to my face," Reiner said.
It may not be a great day to be in the garage sale business, but business is booming at the National Sports Center's smoothie stand.
"It's been really, really humid and stuff like that, so people like their smoothies on hot days," said a smoothie stand worker. "Strawberry banana, that's people's favorite, for sure."
WCCO-TV Meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says relief from the extreme heat is coming Saturday.