Relief is finally in sight for the weekend - just in time for the National Folk Festival.
After days of sweltering heat, where temperatures have been in the mid-90s and the heat index rose to 100 degrees, creating steamy conditions in the Lansing area, cooler conditions are on the way.
That’s good news for patrons planning on attending the folk gala, an outdoor music and dance festival that begins Friday and runs through Sunday.
Wayne Hoepner, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids office, said a cold front should start pushing through tonight.
The bad news? That could create a chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday. But temperatures will be much more tolerable, with overnight lows expected in the 50s and highs in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday. Cloudy skies are also in the forecast.
At least temporarily, this will put an end to the heat wave that has been blamed for at least recent six deaths in the Midwest. Hoepner said temperatures may rise again next week.
However, Hoepner said, for now, the best way to stay cool is to “stay out of the sun, drink lots of fluids and pay close attention to the elderly, young children and even your pets.”
Kelcey Anderson, media and marketing director for the festival, said she is happy to hear the weather will be cooling down. And she said showers Friday could even help clean up the festival site.
But, if meteorologists should be mistaken, the festival is still equipped to deal with heat, she said.
“Three-fifths of the music stages on site will be tented, which will help people stay out of the sun as much as possible,” said Anderson, who suggested festival-goers take caution and drink lots of water.
And as for those planning to attend this year’s folk festival - in its final year in East Lansing - weather plays a mixed role.
“The heat is just too hot to enjoy,” said Chad Belote, a studio art sophomore. “You sweat so much that you think you’re taking a bath every time you walk outside.”
Belote, who relies on a fan to cool him down at home, also drinks water and tries to stay in the shade as much as possible. If he attends the festival, he said he’ll be carrying plenty of bottled water.
But Becky Bean, an animal science senior, said she’s not bothered by the recent high temperatures.
“I don’t mind the heat at all,” Bean said. “Everybody’s getting all worked up about it but you should enjoy it while you can because come October, it’ll be a different story.”
Bean, who also plans on attending the festival, says she “lays low” during the afternoon - meanwhile, she drinks lots of water and does her activities early in the morning or at night to keep cool.
“I’m really excited about the folk festival,” she said. “I hope it’s not miserably hot, but if it is I’ll try to stay in the shade and have a lot to drink.”
Okey Umelo can be reached at umelooke@msu.edu.
