Just a week ago you might have been tempted to put on a jacket before heading outside. Now, you might prefer a tee shirt and shorts.
With a high of 89 degrees expected today, the area will be close to the record high for May, which was 93 degrees on this day in 2006.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said humidity that is normally reserved for later summer months will add a few more degrees to temperatures the next few days, making highs in the upper 80’s feel more like the lower 90’s.
“We’re getting into the time of year now where we can have these warm, humid days,” he said. “I think the fact that this is our first prolonged stretch of humid days will probably make it seem worse than what it is.”
As the temperatures and humidity levels increase around the area, one lucky Penn State student has a job that helps him beat the heat.
Kory Barnoff is a junior majoring in agricultural systems management. Barnoff’s been stocking some of the most coveted ice cream in the country at the Berkey Creamery since he was in high school. And it’s days like today that make Barnoff’s job worthwhile.
The creamery’s freezer, which registers a temperature of minus 32 degrees, is a very nice place to work as a summer-style air mass lingers in State College.
“I look forward to coming to work and getting in that cooler,” he said. During the summer, Barnoff is in the cooler for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, with a longer stint at the end of his shift when he makes sure the coolers are fully stocked for the next worker. Barnoff estimates that he spends about two or three hours in the cooler during a normal summer work day.
On average, Barnoff stocks about 600 half gallons of vanilla, chocolate and other favorite flavors like Peachy Paterno and Alumni Swirl. It’s a welcomed break from the sticky heat.
“I love the cold, so it’s nice,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Since not everyone will be as fortunate as Barnoff, Kines reminds residents to hydrate and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing when they are out and about in this kind of weather.
“It won’t feel the greatest out there,” he said. “Take it easy.”
