The Heat Wave Should Peak Today

The sticky blob of hot moist air that is wrapped around much of the nation will be even worse today, but this is the worst it will get according to various forecasters.

Temperatures today will top 90 degrees, with humidity near 100 percent that will make it feel worse to people all the way from Massachusetts to South Dakota. But a cold front is working its way in from Canada and that will bring relief, as it moves through the Midwest today and into the Northeast tomorrow. But it also could bring severe storms and possibly even tornadoes to some areas.

Some tidbits off the web:

• It hit 100 degrees, a record for the date, at New York's JFK Airport yesterday.
• If you think you smell something bad, you're probably right. A researcher who studies urban odors tells NBC News that heat and humidity allow bacteria to grow faster and travel further. Rotten aromas also overpower sweeter smells when it's hot, she said.

[Various sources including NBC News and Metro Networks]