As Mississippians enjoy weather in the mid-80s and lower 90s on Tuesday, many are wondering if the hellish triple digit heat will be back.

In short, it will. By the end of the week, even.

According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Nicholas Fenner, the lower temps will last through Thursday, but by Friday Mississippians can expect to see the thermometer rise back past 100. Fenner says that’s because there’s a ridge of high pressure that’s been responsible for the extreme heat that had shifted away, and it’s shifting back.

Tuesday and Wednesday’s “cold front” — a funny name when temperatures are still in the 90s, Fenner admits — came in on a low-pressure system that came down from Canada.

But once those triple-digit measurements set back in, how long will they stay?

Fenner says there’s a good chance we could be dealing with days over 100 degrees for another month.

Even as the heat stifles and suffocates, there’s the looming threat of hurricane season, which tends to make itself known in the last week or so of August. Currently, scientists are watching two systems in the Atlantic that could develop into hurricanes, Fenner said. Meteorologists report that 88% of hurricane season’s activity still has yet to come, and the water temperatures are frighteningly high.

Fenner reminds people to take the precautions needed during the exceptional heat.

“That’s not a hypothetical, we’ve been dealing with that,” he said. “That starts to add up over the season as people are trying to get caught up, you have kids in sports programs, or parents at work while kids are at home. Make sure to keep your eye on temperatures and stress levels. Stay hydrated throughout the day, stay safe.”

Remember pets, elderly family members and neighbors, and children can be especially susceptible to the extreme temperatures.