More than 80 million people are this weekend under excessive heat alarms with record temperatures possible in more than 10 states.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect for California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas. Heat advisors are in place for some surrounding states, including Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
“Within the weekend, nearly 100 daily record highs are in danger, and new week is expected to see even more record hits, as the heat remains trapped in much of the western half of the country,” said Haley Brink, CNN meteorologist.
Some cities like El Paso and Abilene, Texas, are likely to have record-breaking heat just one day this weekend. However, Las Vegas and Yuma, Arizona, could immediately break temperature records for the next 3 days.
We know it sows in the Southwest, but Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, are not exactly known for hot spots. This weekend, however, they both have a chance to break records.
Excessive warnings are in place this weekend for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Seattle will peak on Sunday with highlights in the 1990s. Portland can hit triple digits on both Saturday and Sunday.
Many people head back to the mountains to seek relief from the heat in the Northwest, but extra precautions may be needed if you go there this weekend. “It’s going to be hot this weekend!” The Mount Rainier National Park Service warned on its Twitter page. “Hot weather can make park rivers run strong and cold with melting glacier ice and snow. Please practice water state at river crossings.”
In principle, as temperatures melt up, snow and ice melt at faster rates and can fill the rivers faster than normal. That people, who might return in those rivers, creeks and streams, may be surprised by how fast the present is, compared to normal.
Extreme conditions make it harder to fight fires
In Los Angeles County, there are two active fires – the Lake Fire and Ranch2 Fire. The Ranch2 Fire has forced more than 300 homes to be evacuated. The Lake Fire has so far destroyed at least three structures and threatens to threaten another 5,000.
The extreme heat expected this weekend makes it harder on arsonists. Not only because conditions are ripe for the fires to spread, but also because fighting fires in full gear and in the intense heat can increase the core body temperature of firefighters, increasing the risk of heat stress.
There has also been a lack of rain over much of the Southwest in recent months, despite the fact that the monsoon began in early July with much-needed rain to bring to the region.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona, have not registered rain since the end of July. There are also Los Angeles and San Diego that have not had any reports since May and June, respectively. It has been even longer for places like Palm Springs, California, and Las Vegas and Yuma, Arizona, which have not received any rain since April.
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