Extreme heat dome to blanket central United States, affecting 70 million

A stationary heat dome is expected to keep temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) across a swath of the central United States from Dallas to North Dakota through the weekend and into next week, affecting an estimated 70 million residents. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warnings for areas including western Nebraska, where forecasts called for 108 °F (42 °C) on Saturday and Sunday. Overnight lows are projected to remain high, limiting relief and increasing the risk of heat-related illness, especially for children, the elderly and those with medical conditions.

Meteorologist Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service said the dome “looks like it is going to be pretty much stationary in that position as we go through the week,” and noted that any respite later in the weekend may be brief. High humidity will amplify the heat, and some locations, such as the Denver area, could see temperature records broken, with readings 10-15 °F (6-8 °C) above normal.

The heat wave stretches from the desert Southwest to the Gulf Coast and up into the Midwest and Great Plains, while the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and much of the Pacific Northwest are expected to avoid the extreme temperatures. Public venues are taking precautions: Indianapolis Motor Speedway will provide water refill stations for Brickyard 400 spectators, and Denver recreation centers will designate cooling areas.

Climate analyst Andy Pershing of Climate Central linked the event to broader climate trends, stating, “We are experiencing exactly what the climate models in the 1990s said we should experience now. That is more frequent, more severe heat waves, bigger temperature anomalies, more humidity, higher overnight temperatures.”