From AccuWeather:
“'Rare, dangerous and deadly'
heat wave tightens grip on western US”
Experts say the shortage is due
to a combination of factors including manufacturing delays due to COVID-19 and
an increase in demand this spring. The magnitude of the heat across the western
United States through the coming week will be one for the record books,
according to forecasters. And it's not just how hot it will get that will set
this particular heat wave apart from others the region has frequently endured
in the past -- it's how long it will last. The hot pattern could set dozens of
new daily record highs through the middle of June, in addition to potentially
setting new all-time high marks for the month as a whole in some locations.
The intense heat has prompted the
National Weather Service (NWS) to issue excessive heat watches and warnings
throughout California, southern Nevada, western and southern Arizona and Utah.
Many of these alerts last through Friday, June 18. The hot air began to build
on Sunday with records falling from Arizona and California to Wyoming and
Idaho. One of the longest-standing records to be broken was in Salt Lake City,
where the mercury rose to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the date's record of
100 from 1918. June 13, 2021, is now also the earliest instance of a 102-degree
temperature in Salt Lake City, breaking the previous record from June 15, 1974,
according to the NWS. Other record highs fell in Stanley, Pocatello and Idaho
Falls, Idaho; Safford, Tucson and Nogales, Arizona; Rock Springs and Laramie,
Wyoming; and Anaheim, California, as highs in the 80s, 90s and 100s were
recorded. Such temperatures are more typical of July and August.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect
these mid-summerlike conditions to persist as the jet stream bulges northward
and keeps the hot air flowing into the region. "The heat will only become
more intense through the week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
said. In an area of the country that is no stranger to hot weather, the
intensity and longevity of this heat wave is what has forecasters particularly
concerned this go-round. Highs can trend as much as 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit
above normal at the peak of the heat wave. "No easy way to say this, so
we'll just cut straight to the chase: it's going to be very hot for a long time
[this] week," the NWS office in Salt Lake City said on Twitter. AccuWeather
meteorologists are predicting Salt Lake City to tie or break its record highs
each day through Wednesday, with high temperatures near or topping 100 degrees.
On Monday, the Salt Lake City International Airport shattered its record high
of 101 set back in 1974 as temperatures reached 103 degrees, nearing the city's
all-time high. Downtown Salt Lake City also saw its previous record of 96
degrees fall to triple digits as temperatures rose to 101 degrees.
During Tuesday, Salt Lake City's
all-time record high for June of 105 could be in jeopardy of being tied or
broken. The city's record for consecutive triple-digit days of four will also
be challenged. In Phoenix, the NWS called the magnitude of the upcoming heat
"rare, dangerous and deadly." Saturday was the city's first
110-degree day of the year, and AccuWeather meteorologists say it's only going
to get hotter. Through at least Friday, the Valley of the Sun is forecast to
challenge or fully break the high-temperature record each day with highs
solidly in the 110s. The city has a significant chance to tie or break its
record for consecutive 115-degree days of four. This record was achieved in
1968, 1979, 1990, 1995 and twice in 2020, according to the NWS. On average, it
takes Phoenix until the first week of July to achieve a high temperature in
excess of 115 degrees. On Monday, the city saw a daily high of 113 degrees. Las
Vegas is another traditionally hot city that will experience the heat to
another level through the middle of June. Tuesday through Thursday, Sin City is
forecast to approach or reach 115 degrees and challenge record-high
temperatures that date back to 1940. "It is unusual for Las Vegas to reach
above 115 degrees, even in the hottest part of summer. The official reporting
station for the city has documented temperatures above 115 degrees in only 21
of the last 73 years," Gilbert said. "Make sure your outdoor
recreation plans are heat safe! With climbing temps, you may be putting
yourself at risk if you aren't prepared. Adjust times to cooler parts of the
day & pack lots of extra water!" the NWS in Las Vegas advised on
Twitter ahead of the heat wave.
Death Valley, California, another
location familiar with triple-digit temperatures, will absolutely scorch by the
middle of the week, according to forecasters. From Wednesday through Friday,
the high temperature could come within 10 degrees of the all-time high ever
recorded at Death Valley -- a scorching 134 degrees in 1913, according to the
National Park Service. At the very least, each day's record high is likely to
be broken. Wednesday's and Thursday's record highs of 123 and 122,
respectively, have stood since 1917. The average high for the middle of June in
Death Valley is around 110. "With this abnormal level of heat across the
entire Southwest this week, cooling demands will increase, which may put a
strain on the electric grid, as well as residents' wallets," Gilbert said.
Experts urge visitors and even long-standing residents who may be more
accustomed to such extreme conditions to limit outdoor activity to the coolest
times of the day, drink plenty of fluids and spend as much time as possible in
air-conditioned buildings.
And the heat won't just be
sequestered to the Southwestern states, with record warmth expected as far
north as Montana, according to forecasters. In fact, Billings, Montana, is
expected to hit 108 on Tuesday, which would shatter the 1987 daily record of 98.
Farther west, however, clouds and showers from a slow-moving storm system will
keep the coastal areas of the Northwest cool. It may not be completely dry
across the interior West either during the spell of heat. A few pop-up
thunderstorms are possible over the higher mountains in Wyoming, Colorado, New
Mexico, Utah and Arizona this week, according to AccuWeather Senior
Meteorologist Tyler Roys. "While bringing beneficial rain to some
drought-stricken areas, these pop-up thunderstorms may also pose a risk for
igniting new fires," Roys said. The risk for wildfire spread will increase
amid the heat wave, even in the absence of any lightning strikes. With fuels
like grass or brush so dry, the smallest spark may quickly spread into a large
wildfire.
^ We had a heat wave here on the
East Coast the other week and even then we didn’t have temperatures as hot as
the West Coast is getting. I don't envy them. ^
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