A punishing heat wave has gripped large swaths of the country for weeks this summer, shattering all-time temperature records from Montana to Arizona, while Tropical Storm Bertha brought a rare and dangerous combination of extreme heat and tropical weather to the Gulf Coast.
Records Falling Across the West
Salt Lake City, Utah, recorded a new all-time high of 109°F, while Miles City, Montana, and Sheridan, Wyoming both set all-time records at 115°F and 109°F, respectively. Phoenix, Arizona reached highs of 113°F over several consecutive days, part of a second heat dome that formed across the western and central U.S. in early July, layering on top of an earlier heat dome that had already scorched the eastern half of the country ahead of the July Fourth holiday, placing more than 160 million Americans under heat alerts at its peak.
A Rare Combination in the South
The Gulf Coast saw an unusual double threat when Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall, prompting southern Louisiana to be placed under both a tropical storm warning and an extreme heat warning simultaneously — the first time that combination has occurred in the region since 2005. Lake Charles recorded a heat index of 121°F during the storm.
Wildfire Smoke Compounds the Problem
Adding to the discomfort, smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires has drifted into parts of the Northeast, worsening air quality in areas like Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley even as temperatures there tied daily heat records.
What’s Behind It
Meteorologists point to a combination of factors driving the summer’s extreme and prolonged heat, though the pattern of back-to-back heat domes settling over different regions of the country has made this one of the more geographically widespread heat events in recent memory. Emergency officials continue to urge residents in affected areas to check on elderly neighbors, stay hydrated, and limit outdoor activity during peak afternoon heat as the pattern shows few signs of fully breaking in the near term.
This story is developing.
