“Heat dome” results in temperatures 25 to 50 degrees above normal.
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning, stating, “A very dangerous heat wave continues in the West, especially the Northwest, with record-shattering temperatures that will persist for much of the week.” All of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, plus portions of California, Montana, and Nevada, are under excessive heat watches and warnings.
A highly unusual weather pattern is aloft over the region, with a record-setting high-pressure area known as a heat dome. The heat dome is causing temperatures as much as 25 to 50 degrees above average, yielding temperatures from 95º to 115º Fahrenheit. The heat combined with a worsening drought is raising the risk of wildfires across multiple Western states. It is also causing power demands to spike at a time when hydropower resources are lower than usual.
The National Weather Service issued an advisory along with the excessive heat warning directing people to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal, state, and local officials seeking to support residents unaccustomed to such high temperatures.
- For those who are enduring the massive heat increases in the Pacific Northwest who do not have air conditioning.
- For emergency personnel treating those with heat-related illnesses due to extreme temperatures.
- For rain for drought-stricken areas.
Sources: Axios, National Weather Service
