Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service said a heat dome is expanding across the central United States this weekend and into next week, with temperatures expected above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and heat advisories covering roughly 70 million people. He said the system looks like it will be pretty much stationary as the week goes on, leaving little overnight relief for people trying to recover from the daytime heat.
National Weather Service outlook
Oravec said, “It looks like it is going to be pretty much stationary in that position as we go through the week,” and forecast temperatures 10 F to 15 F above normal across a broad stretch from Dallas to North Dakota. Western Nebraska was under an extreme heat warning on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures forecast to reach 108 F, while Montana and Wyoming were expected to top 100 F.
The forecast points to the hardest-hit pockets becoming particularly severe across Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast by Wednesday. Some relief may arrive toward next weekend, but the heat is expected to linger through the week before that happens.
Hannah Lovelace in Chadron
At the Museum of the Fur Trade near Chadron, Nebraska, Hannah Lovelace gave a smaller sign of the same weather pattern. She said fur hats and pelts in the gift shop were not selling well and added, “I’m sure no one would be willing to wear it on a day like this,” a comment that matched the broader heat gripping Western Nebraska.
The National Weather Service said children, the elderly, and people with medical conditions face the greatest risk of serious heat illness, including heat stroke, and urged people to seek air conditioning or a cooling center, drink enough water, and limit time under direct sun. Fans going to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 on Sunday will have water refill stations and places to get cool, and packed coolers are allowed. In Denver, recreation centers will set aside areas for people to get out of the heat and in front of air conditioning.
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
The hottest air will not reach every part of the United States. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast should avoid the extreme heat, and much of the Pacific Northwest should also stay out of the worst conditions even as the central United States faces dangerous weather.
This is the latest in a summer that already brought severe heat to the eastern United States, the Southwest and Great Plains, and Europe in June, where France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a heat wave. For people under advisories now, the practical move is to plan around the heat dome as a multi-day event, not a one-afternoon spike.
