PETER R. BARBER Ariya Pollydore, 8, of Schenectady plays on the new splash pad in Central Park on the Opening Day of the new swimming pool Wednesday, June 19, 2024.

PETER R. BARBER The splash pad Schenectady Swimming Pool in Central Park Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Dave Denny of Ballston Lake leans into a spray fountain at the Blatnick Park splash pad to soak his towel after completing a tennis match with friend, Dave Picchini of Loudonville, not pictured, at the adjacent tennis courts in Niskayuna, Monday, July 15, 2024.

While many are wishing for the weekend rain streak to end soon, and while less is expected this weekend, unfortunately, extreme heat and high humidity will be picking up the slack starting next week.

“We’re going to have a pretty prolonged, three- to four-day heat wave, with the worst of it being Monday, Tuesday,” said meteorologist Joe Villani of the National Weather Service in Albany. “So people definitely want to prepare for pretty high heat, humidity for this part of the country.”

Incoming temperatures

The incoming rise in temperatures is normal around the time of the summer solstice, according to Villani. Temperatures are expected to rise on Sunday and begin to lower on Wednesday, and humidity will be high throughout all three days with lows expected to remain in the low 70s.

In the Capital Region, Sunday is expected to have a high of 90 degrees. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, highs will increase to the mid-90s range, officials said, with the feels-like temperature expected to reach 100 to 105 F.

Further west into the Mohawk Valley, Sunday is expected to be cooler than the Capital Region, with a high of 86 F. Monday is looking to be the hottest, with highs ranging between 105 and 109 degrees, and Tuesday is expected to be a couple degrees cooler, officials said.

As for the Hudson Valley, Sunday will be hotter than the others as temperatures will hover in the 93 to 94 degree range. Temperatures will continue to rise into Monday, reaching an estimated high of 98. But Tuesday will remain the hottest, reaching an estimated 104 to 108 degrees in terms of the feels-like reading, according to Villani.

Up north in the Adirondacks, Sunday will start with highs in the lower-mid 80s, and Monday will not see much change, with only an increase into the upper 80s for the high and Tuesday holding the same temperature range.

During a press conference Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul urged any New Yorkers who are able to vote early to avoid long waits in the blistering heat on Primary Day on Tuesday.

It’s Raining… again

Across the Mohawk Valley, Hudson Valley, Lower Adirondack Region and Capital Region, there are chances of thunderstorms on Saturday, especially during the evening, with chances of isolated storms on Tuesday afternoon, officials say.

“There’s going to be this big area of high pressure across most of the country, but right around the northern edge,” Villani said. “So really, we’ll say they’re coming from the Northern Plains to the Upper Great Lakes.”

Power outages

With major heat waves like the one expected, the chances of a power outage increase. However, the New York Independent Systems Operator believes the electric grid, capable of distributing 40,497 megawatts (MW) in the state, will be able to handle the demand, it said in a press release.

Estimated energy demand over the next few days, as specified in the release, are as follows:

However, in the event energy demand exceeds expectations, here are a few energy-saving strategies National Grid recommended in a press release on Friday:

Fulton County Emergency Management Director Steven Santa Maria recommended taking out alternative cooling devices early, ensuring proper setup of generators outside the house, and urged anyone who uses electrical medical equipment should register as a Special Needs Customer on the National Grid website.

“They [National Grid] will make an effort to try to get your power restored, as quickly as possible,”........

© The Leader Herald