It’s hardly revelatory that summer is hot, but the summer of 2023 is standing out as records fall and thermometers push their breaking points. If you’re hoping for some sort of relief, it’s not coming anytime soon.
The South and Southwest will continue to face record temperatures for as much as the coming two weeks, forecasters have warned. A heat dome (another term for a ridge of high pressure) over Arizona, Nevada and parts of California could trap the hot air in place. Heat.gov, the government’s heat portal, says over 113 million Americans are under heat alerts. Given that the 2020 census put America’s population at about 331.5 million people, this heat alert means that you have a one in three chance of being under heat alert as an American this July.
It’s oppressive everywhere, but some areas are especially noteworthy. Phoenix has reported temperatures of over 110 degrees for 12 consecutive days. In the coming days, forecasters say that could climb to 118—and there’s no end in sight. Death Valley, Calif., meanwhile, is forecast to hit 123 degrees later this week.
Another heat dome over the South is keeping temperatures close to the 100-degree mark, with high humidity making it feel hotter. Heat indexes in the Lower Mississippi valley, for instance, are expected in the 110-115 range Thursday. That hazardous heat, in some regions, could last through July 20, forecasters say.
“Unfortunately, the long term outlook through the weekend and into next week is for an increasingly significant and oppressive heat wave,” the National Weather Service wrote in its most recent advisory.
Excessive heat warnings are in place for much of Nevada and California, along with large swaths of Arizona and Texas Thursday, with heat advisories covering other parts of the state. Areas of those cities with more pavement and fewer trees can be as much as 20 degrees higher than neighborhoods with less asphalt and more shade, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Even areas of the country that aren’t sweltering to this degree aren’t getting much of a break. The National Weather Service says heavy rain and flash floods are still a threat in the Northeast Thursday and Friday.