After The Cold Rush

After a day of record temperatures across much of the nation, a cold front began to move down from Canada Friday — but not soon enough to spare many areas from one more hot, humid day.

Chicago forecasters called for it to be "much cooler and less humid," with high near 80. St. Louis looked for conditions to be "partly sunny and cooler." Indianapolis was to be "not as warm and becoming less humid" with "highs in the mid 80s."

But the heat wave that has gripped a wide swath of the country for days was not going away quickly, or quietly. Many Eastern cities expected another soupy, steamy day Friday, and when the relief does come, it could bring severe weather.

Damaging storms ripped across the Midwest and upstate New York Thursday night, leaving tens of thousands of homes in the dark.

A state of emergency was declared Thursday in Grand Forks, North Dakota, after wind gusts of 101 mph and heavy rain destroyed 3,000 trees and knocked out power to 11,000 customers. Half had the lights back on by late afternoon.

"The thunderstorms are a harbinger of cooler air moving toward the region," a National Weather Service forecast for New York said.

Heat indexes could still hit 100 in Boston, where it was expected to be "Very hot, humid, and breezy. High in the upper 90s." The National Weather Service warned of showers and said that, "Some thunderstorms may contain damaging winds and heavy rainfall." But the mercury was expected to stay in the lower 70s on Saturday.

In Little Rock, heat indices could again range between 100 and 105 degrees. Thunderstorms were expected there, as well.

Thursday was the grand finale of a heat wave that has contributed to more than a dozen deaths.

Hartford, Conn., and Philadelphia broke records at 101, while Raleigh, N.C., broiled at an all-time high of 100 degrees.

In Duluth, Minn., a town along Lake Superior that is known for its chilly temps, five people have died this week because of the heat. The victims all lived in apartments or rooms with poor ventilation. Tempeatures were in the low 90s when they were found.

"It's terrible," said county medical examiner Dr. Thomas Uncini, "In my time, there's never been anything like this."

In Baltimore, where the mercury climbed to 101 on Thursday, the city's health commissioner said heat was a factor in the deaths of at least three people this week.

Since Tuesday, the heat has been blamed for five deaths of elderly Pennsylvanians, a spokesman for the Department of Public Health said. In Rowley, Mass., a 3-year-old girl collapsed and died Wednesday after her body temperature reached nearly 109 degrees as she played outside.

Health officials sent workers to check on the infirm, elderly and very young, who are most vulnerable to heat-related health problems. Despite precautions, the weather has taken a deadly toll.

New Jersey reported two deaths believed to be heat-related: a 33-year-old man was found unconscious in his apartment Wednesday and a child who had an asthma attack Thursday.

State government offices in New Jersey were closed Thursday to save energy. Rutgers University campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden also shut down early.

About 400 commuters in Connecticut were stranded for more than an hour after the heat and aging overhead wires stalled a train. A locomotive was used to push the cars into the station.

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