Heat Wave Set to Expand from Desert Southwest

Posted: July 18, 2023 3:00 pm

The heat wave that has been making life miserable for millions of people in the Southwest over the last several days is moving toward the east. Who will be under the grips next and when can the Southwest expect relief? Read on for all of the details.

Heat Turned Up in the Southwest

The southwestern corner of the U.S. has been experiencing the worst heat of the summer thus far with no relief on the horizon. Millions of Americans are under heat-related weather warnings and watches heading into the new week as the unseasonable warmth is set to expand into the south-central U.S. in the coming days.

Temperatures have been hovering in the triple digits for much of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California with some records being challenged as a stubborn heat dome refuses to budge.

Phoenix saw its third straight daily high record in a row fall on Saturday when the mercury landed at 118 degrees. This reading barely inched out the previous record of 117 degrees from 1998.

The Valley of the Sun is also expected to break the record of the most consecutive days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees. This record from 1984 hit 18 days during the second half of June that year. As of July 16, Phoenix had hit 16 straight days at this benchmark.

The stifling overnight lows have been the most notable for the Phoenix area. The city has not seen the mercury fall below 90 degrees for eight consecutive days, breaking the previous record of seven straight days.

As a whole, temperatures have been measuring about 3 – 6 degrees above the norm for the first half of July across the southwestern region. The large area of high pressure is not predicted to break down any time soon, translating to a forecast of more heat.

The slight silver lining is that forecasters believe that the temperatures may be on a small downswing this week. However, these readings will still hover 5 – 10 degrees above the historical average until the weekend.

Other Notable Readings

Phoenix is not the only city out West dealing with these extreme temperatures. Death Valley, California once again claimed the crown for the highest readings in the country. This area that sits 300 feet below sea level notched a blazing temperature of 126 degrees on Sunday. The temperatures are forecast to remain in the 120s through the rest of the week.

The immense heat expanded to the north over the week, making its way to Salt Lake City. The capital of Utah hit 106 degrees on Sunday, just one degree below the all-time record for the city.

To the east, El Paso, Texas has also seen this heat creep into the area. The city has now recorded 31 days of temperatures in the triple digits, dating all the way back to June 16. The previous record was 23 days. El Paso is forecast to continue to add days to this streak.

Complications of the Heat Wave

In addition to being increasingly uncomfortable, the heat poses a number of health concerns. Even healthy individuals can easily become overwhelmed by temperatures of this magnitude, resulting in heat exhaustion and dehydration.

The first death related to the heat has been reported in Houston. Victor Ramos, age 67, was found unresponsive in his home by his sister. Ramos was pronounced dead on June 24 as a result of accidental hyperthermia.

The victim’s sister said that her brother’s air conditioning unit had recently broken and he was not able to afford to fix it. At least 13 deaths related to the heat have been confirmed in Texas so far this year.

The inability of the temperature to come down during the overnight hours puts excessive strain on area energy grids as residents are unable to open windows to cool homes. Both Las Vegas and Phoenix may see minimum temperature records fall this week.

A lack of moisture is accompanying the extreme heat, elevating the risk of wildfire danger across the region. The lush vegetation that grew over parts of California during last winter and spring is now starting to dry out. The dry grass and plants will serve as fuel for fires in the coming weeks and months. All it takes is one lightning strike or human error to cause a fire to ignite and quickly spread.

Heat Wave Expands Into Texas

The high pressure system currently anchored over the Southwest is forecast to stretch eastward this week, bringing the potential of record-breaking temperatures to even more communities.

El Paso will continue its hot streak with readings possibly reaching as high as 110 degrees in the near future. The Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex is also expected to hit the 100s through Thursday. It will also be immensely hot in San Antonio and Austin with no relief on tap for this week.

Looking to the long-range forecast, meteorologists are predicting that the annual North American monsoon season will continue to be mitigated through the end of the month. This suppression will keep crucial moisture out of the region, delaying the return of more tolerable temperatures.

While there is the chance of a stray rain shower or thunderstorm over the mountainous areas of the Four Corners region over the next few days, any storm development is not likely to pack a significant amount of moisture. Instead, these storms will usher in the possibility of dry lightning that could heighten the wildfire risk over the parched terrain.

The heat wave may also move to the north by the end of the month, bringing unseasonably warm temperatures to the Northwest and beyond. Stay tuned to learn if this heat will impact you.

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