More than 30 million bake under heat alerts as dangerous triple-digit temps return to West
Excessive Heat Warnings cover about 15 million across seven states as temperatures soar to within shouting distance of all-time record highs.
No sign of relief from scorching summer heat
As the West gets set to bake in yet another record-breaking heat wave, the FOX Forecast Center is looking back at how April's summer outlook is verifying. So far, it's been pretty accurate as it called for the Northeast and the West to have the highest likelihood for above-average temperatures.
SPOKANE, Wash. — One of the hottest starts to summer on record across much of the West is ready to write its next chapter as yet another dangerous bout of heat is building.
The worst of the heat wave this weekend will focus on two areas — the Inland Northwest and, farther south, the interior valleys of California, stretching into southern Nevada and western Arizona.
Excessive Heat Warnings cover about 16 million people across seven states as temperatures soar to within shouting distance of all-time record highs. Another 22 million are under Heat Advisories.
(FOX Weather)
That includes about 3 million people in the Inland Northwest. Spokane, Washington is on a streak of 16-straight days at or warmer than 90 degrees — breaking the all-time record.
The forecast high of 106 degrees on Sunday would be the city’s fourth-hottest day on record.
Boise has already had 10 days at 100 or warmer in July and each of the next 6 days is expected to reach triple digits again, which would set an all-time monthly record.
As a result, much of Eastern Washington along with far eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and Idaho’s Treasure Valley are forecast to see Major to Extreme heat risk, according to the National Weather Service.
In addition, some atmospheric instability is leading to a risk of dry thunderstorms across much of the Inland West. Dry thunderstorms are high-based storms where any rainfall evaporates into the hot, dry air beneath the clouds before the rain can wet the surface.
WHY DRY THUNDERSTORMS POSE WILDFIRE, DUST STORM RISKS
However, lightning has no problems reaching the ground and the storms are a dangerous recipe for sparking new wildfires without any of the benefit of soaking rainfall. Firefighters are already battling 57 large wildfires across the U.S. and hundreds more smaller fires.
More intense heat in the Desert Southwest
Yes, the month of July in the inland California valleys and Desert Southwest is blistering hot, even in the tamest of summer patterns. Even by their lofty temperature standards, this summer has residents beyond the usual shrugs of "it’s just a dry heat."
Excessive Heat Warnings have returned once again for large swaths of the region, where 100 degrees is starting to feel like relief and 105 to 110 degrees is more the daily target.
(FOX Weather)
That includes Las Vegas which is staring at forecast high temperatures pushing 115 degrees just 10 days after overhauling the top of its all-time heat records. On July 6, Las Vegas’ all-time hottest temperature recorded in their 87 years of record was 117 degrees.
As of July 11, that record now sits in 5th place after Vegas reached highs of 120, 119 and 118 twice in the days between. Even before the weekend heat, the city sits at a whopping 7 degrees above average for July.
In Arizona's Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and its suburbs, officials have already attributed 23 deaths to excessive heat with another 300 suspected heat-related deaths still under investigation.
The hot pattern holds through the end of the week, and long-range temperature outlooks are not offering much hope for relief.
NOAA's August-October temperature outlook
(FOX Weather)
The latest 90-day forecast issued by NOAA on Thursday for the August through October period does indicate high confidence of above-average temperatures continuing across the inland West and Desert Southwest.