The early morning intense heat across much of the western United States has already set numerous records but is forecast to continue for another week, pushing temperatures into triple digits and raising health and wildfire concerns in California and surrounding states.
“This is unprecedented heat — take it very seriously,” said Dan Burke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. “This is not normal, this is extreme heat. … We’re talking 10 to 12 degrees above normal for the hottest part of the year.”
Officials have blamed the scorching heat for several deaths, including that of a motorcyclist who died in Death Valley on Saturday National Park and four Suspected heat-related deaths in the Portland, Oregon area.
(People jump into the Willamette River from the Duckworth Dock on Friday in Portland, Oregon.)
(Jenny Kane/Associated Press)
According to the weather service, Las Vegas on Sunday reached its highest temperature ever recorded at 3 degrees, reaching 120 degrees for the first time since record keeping began in 1937. Several record high temperatures were set across California this weekend, including in the eastern desert, the Antelope Valley and the northwest corner of the state.
The temperatures themselves are shocking, officials say, but the number of days with temperatures above 100, 110 or even 115 degrees is also remarkable — and dangerous.
Excessive heat warnings are expected to remain in place for much of inland California until at least Friday, and many areas could face blistering heat. Extreme heat hazard According to forecasts, this will continue for several days in a row.
The San Joaquin Valley is expected to be under an excessive heat warning for 12 consecutive days, from early last week through Saturday. Weather officials warned that “this kind of rare, prolonged period of extreme heat, with no overnight relief, affects everyone.”
Although the Central Valley is used to heat, health risks increase when temperatures remain high at night. Do not drop below 80 degrees this weekend.
“This could possibly be one of the longest (excessive heat warnings), if not the longest,” said Andy Bollenbacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford. “This streak of high pressure — it’s very strong, and it’s not going anywhere.”
That high pressure ridge – often called as a heat dome – It is located in the west direction, and nothing is expected to interfere with it for several days, until it begins to move slightly towards the east.
“We have a very large and long-running pressure cooker in the San Joaquin Valley, and really all of California, that keeps us warm for a very long time,” Bollenbacher said.
It’s difficult to directly link a heat wave to climate change, but researchers consistently find that Heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense due to human-caused global warming Recent heat waves are more likely to break records Temperatures are getting hotter around the world Burke said that along with this, urbanization is also increasing, which is increasing the baseline temperature.
“We’ve had heat waves for a long time, but this situation is unprecedented with the intensity of the heat,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
In Southern California, Palmdale and Lancaster set records Sunday for the most consecutive days with temperatures of 110 degrees or higher — four — according to National Weather ServiceThe record of consecutive 110-degree-plus temperatures is expected to continue this week, Wofford said.
Wofford said the high temperature will “probably be in the 110s by Friday.” Lancaster also set an all-time high on Sunday with a temperature of 115 degrees.
People enjoy a cool ride with the help of mechanics on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday.
(John Locher/Associated Press)
Las Vegas is also expected to break records for consecutive days of 110 and 115 degrees or higher, Burke said. Sin City has had four consecutive days of temperatures above 110 degrees as of Sunday night, and is forecast to stay that hot until early next week.
“We’re hoping to do this for probably 15 days in a row,” Burke said. “I think we’ll break that record.”
Record highs were set in the Mojave Desert on Sunday, where Barstow hit 118 and Bishop hit 111. National Weather ServiceThe Barstow-Daggett Airport also set a daily record for low temperature Friday, never dropping below 85 degrees.
According to the weather department, temperatures also broke records in areas of northwestern California on Saturday. Eureka Office of the National Weather ServiceKonocti reached 112 degrees, breaking the previous record by two degrees; Covelo reached 117 degrees, beating the previous record of 115; Alderpoint reached 113 degrees, beating the previous record of 112; and Hoopa reached 114 degrees, breaking the previous record by three degrees.
Wofford said it will remain warm across much of California for the rest of this week, with temperatures expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above average for early July.
The worst conditions are expected to last through Thursday in California’s eastern desert. The weather service’s Las Vegas office warned of “dangerously hot conditions for an unusually long period of time.” The warning said highs of 105 to 129 degrees are expected through Thursday from Owens Valley to Death Valley.
Excessive heat warnings remain in place for the Sacramento Valley until Friday night, with temperatures expected to rise next weekend Eventually it fell below 100,
Aside from the coast, much of southwestern California will remain under a heat wave threat until at least Thursday, with the weather service urging residents to “take immediate action if you experience symptoms of heatstroke or heat stroke.”
“Anyone suffering from heat stroke should move to a cool, shady location,” the weather service said. “Heat stroke is an emergency!”
A man wipes sweat from his forehead at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park on Sunday.
(Ty O’Neill/Associated Press)
Much of Northern California — Trinity, Mendocino, Humboldt and Lake counties — remained under excessive heat warnings until Monday evening.
Temperatures are also expected to be well above average across the Pacific Northwest, and excessive heat warnings have been issued for much of Oregon and Washington, where temperatures have plummeted. set records this weekendClimbed into the low 90s and 100s.
National Weather Service There is a warning This heat wave will continue to bring “severe fire weather conditions” to the interior region, likely promoting “large fire growth” for new or existing fires.
The latest fast-moving fire in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County grew to more than 20,000 acres on Monday. Lake of Fire Due to this, people had to move to safer places and by Monday morning it was controlled by 8%.
Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.
