The heat is on and it's techinically it's not even summer yet!

This entire region is currently navigating a sweltering summer heatwave that is bringing record-setting high temps to the Sioux Empire.

Our friends over in the Dakota News Now Weather Center say we can expect another blast furnace again this week, with temps hovering in the mid to upper 90's most of the week. We could even see triple-digit temps in some parts of the state on Wednesday.

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With little or no precipitation in sight, things are drying up faster than it takes the Vikings to exit the playoffs. It's amazing how quickly a luscious green looking lawn or a person's garden can turn toasty brown when you string a handful of 90 degree days together.

State-wide drought conditions are forcing many South Dakota cities to implement lawn watering restrictions due to excessive water usage.

At this time, the city of Sioux Falls finds itself in a Stage-1 Lawn Watering Program.

Lawn watering is prohibited between the hours 12:00 PM to 5 PM. People with even-numbered addresses can fire up their sprinklers on even-numbered calendar dates, and users with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns on odd-numbered calendar dates.

If things continue to stay this dry, expect Sioux Falls to move to Stage-2 rather soon. That will restrict lawn watering to just one day each week based on the last number of your property address.

There is also a Stage-3 restriction. Stage-3 prohibits lawn watering in the city all together. Let's hope we don't reach that point.

Other cities around Sioux Falls are finding themselves in similar situations.

According to Dakota News Now, the city of Brandon has a three-stage watering restriction plan. Green-yellow-red. The city is currently in the "yellow" phase, meaning residents may only water lawns just one day a week, based on their house number.

Failure to follow the watering restrictions in Brandon can range from a written warning to having your water completely shut off!  Wow! That's a rather large penalty to pay in the quest for a green lawn, I would say.

Mitchell, another eastern South Dakota city, is also under a series of lawn water restrictions.

Dakota News Now reports that Mitchell is prohibiting its residents from watering lawns between 10 AM and 8 PM. And if you do plan on watering, the city of Mitchell asks that people only water in the early morning hours when its cooler.

Bottom line we need rain! By the looks of the long-range forecast, our next best chance at any significant precipitation is early next week. And that's a BIG maybe.

Source: Dakota News Now

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