Scorching temps expected over July 4th holiday; nearly 150 million under heat alerts
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 3 months ago • 18 commentsBy: Patrick Smith, Kathryn Prociv and Rebecca Cohen
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Heat warnings and watches are in effect for nearly 150 million people across 21 states for the holiday period, with dangerous and potentially historic extreme heat due for the West in the coming days and temperatures of 115 degrees possible.
Several daily heat records were broken Tuesday, and more than 130 could be set through next Tuesday.
The California cities of San Rafael and Livermore hit all-time highs Wednesday, clocking in at 100 and 110 degrees respectively.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect for much of California and southern Nevada and parts of Arizona, Washington and Oregon. An excessive heat warning means potentially life-threatening conditions, "with a high to very high risk for much of the population due to long duration heat with little to no overnight relief."
The National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area warned that "an exceptionally dangerous situation is underway as we enter a potentially historic and deadly heat event."
It said that heat is the No. 1 weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and that "it is VERY LIKELY that we add to that statistic if preparations are not taken seriously."
The extreme heat in the San Francisco area could last six to 12 days, the weather service there said, making it the longest stretch of extreme temperatures the Bay Area has experienced in at least 18 years.
The city of Los Angeles issued an excessive heat warning Wednesday, noting that the stretch of scorching temperatures could last through "at least" Monday, with temperatures that could climb to 106 in parts of Los Angeles "for many days in a row."
In Oregon — where temperatures are expected to reach near record levels this weekend — Gov. Tina Kotek issued a warning Wednesday and said state agencies were working to open cooling centers to combat the heat wave.
And the weather service in Seattle warned Wednesday that the forecast for a hot holiday weekend remains intact, with highs in the 90s, peaking Sunday.
Across the Plains and the Southeast, the heat index — which measures how hot it feels when humidity is taken into account — could reach 100 to 115 on Wednesday.
The heat index could reach 116 degrees in Little Rock, Arkansas, while Phoenix is set to reach 113 on the same scale.
On Wednesday, Little Rock officially hit 100 degrees for the first time this year, 301 days since the last time the mercury climbed that high in the city.
Phoenix hit a high of 113 degrees Wednesday, the 16th day in a row the city has had temperatures at or above 110.
Phoenix police said a child died hiking on South Mountain on Tuesday "as a result of a heat-related medical event." The police department said the victim's family had been on the trail since early in the day.
The Southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley are likely to get "oppressive heat and humidity" over the holiday, according to the weather service, with temperatures reaching into the upper 90s and the low 100s and heat indexes into the 110s. It said the heat wave is expected to spread east into the Mid-Atlantic toward the end of the week.
A number of cities have already canceled or postponed July Fourth fireworks ceremonies and parades because of high temperatures and dry conditions that could cause wildfires.
In California, St. Helena said it was postponing its fireworks show until later in the year when weather conditions are better. And Oroville canceled its Fourth of July fireworks, citing the Thompson Fire, which has been blazing nearby since Tuesday.
Antioch, California, nixed its daytime parade because of the heat but said it still planned to put on a fireworks show Thursday evening.
Excessive heat and humidity will stretch from Nashville, Tennessee, to New Orleans on Wednesday and Thursday, but slightly cooler temperatures arrive by Friday.
It has already been a record-breaking year for temperatures. It's only early July, but Miami has spent more time at or above 105 degrees on the heat index than in all of 2019.
The extreme heat brings an increased risk of wildfires. About 4 million people, most of them in California, are under red flag warnings. The warnings urge people to be careful with open flames — an added risk with holiday firework displays taking place.
There is also the chance stormy weather across the Central U.S. will disrupt some holiday gatherings.
About 13 million people are at risk of severe storms across the western High Plains and the Ohio River Valley. High wind is likely across both areas, along with hail and isolated tornadoes in the region.
Thursday, 6 million people are under a slight risk of severe storms across much of Missouri and parts of Kansas and Oklahoma.
A secondary area of storms that may light up by afternoon could be Iowa, where tornadoes are possible. The main threat will be damaging winds for cities like Kansas City, Missouri, and Topeka, Kansas.
A low pressure front over the central High Plains and a frontal boundary stretching from the lower Great Lakes to the central Plains could be "the triggers for some meteorological fireworks," the weather service said.
Flash flooding as a result of heavy rain is possible between eastern Kansas and the Ohio Valley.
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It is summer and it is supposed to be hot and humid, but gee whiz it has been hot.
It's not supposed to be THIS HOT AND HUMID. Also, the first time a category 5 hurricane, Beryl, has developed this early in the season.
We're also breaking all the wrong records in regard to RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES, this early in the season.
There are some towns in my area that are already under voluntary water restrictions. The stream at the back of my yard has been bone dry for weeks. It doesn't usually dry out until late July or early August. Farmers are already feeding their cows hay, because the grass isn't growing, and will have to pay top dollar for that hay, also because the grass isn't growing. Of course, when beef and milk get more expensive, we all know that some will take the opportunity to whine about some politicians raising prices, because they have hardly any idea about what goes into raising that steak they want to throw on the grill today.
Climate change? Hard to say, but it's been pretty hot and dry in years past. We're lucky here in Denver, the humidity can be in the low teens or even single digits. A very pleasant 51 degrees at 0730 here, but the heat dome is forecast to move over us by this time next week. Rain has been sparse, summer monsoon has yet to develop.
1936 North American heat wave - Wikipedia
Tell us all about it. What's changed since the 30's? Why were there "extreme" weather events decades, or even hundreds of years ago?
Great Flood of 1862 - Wikipedia
They've changed even more since 1862
I find that climate changes about 4 times a year. From late November to early March is gets very cold, then it really turns nice for a few months before getting real hot and then around late September it begins to cool off / S
Ya, you and greg are my go-to climate experts.
You're talking about the 'weather' not 'climate change'
So you're saying you are a climate expert?
You're talking pre-industrial age in 1936 and 1862?????????????????????????????
Good grief man, extreme weather is a byproduct of climate change but that does not mean that extreme weather is ONLY a result of climate change.
Climate change is measured, primarily, on the rising average global temperature of the planet coupled with historical climate conditions based on ice cores, tree rings, sediment layers, and coral reefs.
It is evidenced by planetary conditions such as measured shrinking snow cover, glaciers and ice sheets, rising acidification of oceans due to absorbing more CO2, rise of and heating of oceans. And, among these, unusual changes in weather patterns.
I'm not, but you're acting as though you are.
What's changed since the 30's?
Nothing.
Overpopulation is what is pushing climate change, i have said that many times
Supposed to get to the high 30's and even 40 next week in my neck of the woods, which is rare this far north