Triple-digit highs expected in Southwest, Great Plains before heat spreads eastward
A heat dome building across the United States is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures to the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend before spreading eastward, with forecasters warning that the system could trap oppressive heat for a week or more.
The National Weather Service said the heat dome could affect as much as two-thirds of the continental United States. Temperatures in many areas are forecast to be 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) above normal, including at night — a pattern that forecasters said poses particular health risks because the body does not get a chance to recover.
“The heat doesn’t necessarily stop when it’s dark out,” said Josh Adam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Adam said temperatures in Bismarck will surpass 100°F (37°C) until Tuesday, a dramatic spike for a state where summer temperatures are typically in the 80s.
In Minnesota, where temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid- to high 90s next week, volunteers are already preparing. Tynika Smith of Bloomington, Minnesota, handed out frozen towels and wash cloths along with battery-operated fans at encampments of homeless people in nearby St. Paul. She said she will continue distributing supplies next week. Residents placed the ice packs around their necks and on their heads, according to Smith.
Forecasters advised people across the affected region to stay hydrated and find places to cool off, warning that the extended heat, particularly the elevated nighttime temperatures, would not give their bodies a chance to recover.