Millions of Americans are preparing for a significant heat dome that is expected to bring dangerous temperatures across a large portion of the country through next week. Some locations are forecast to experience heat hotter than the Sahara Desert.
The heat dome will stretch from Arizona and Texas northward into the Plains and the northern Rockies, while also fueling thunderstorms along its eastern edge. AccuWeather meteorologists predict temperatures will climb 10 to 20 degrees above historical averages from Friday through Monday.
Phoenix, Arizona, is expected to be among the hardest-hit areas, with forecasts predicting temperatures reaching 117°F on Friday and soaring to 119°F on Saturday. This is hotter than the average temperature of the Sahara Desert, which hovers around 100°F.
Many areas in the southern Plains could see consecutive days with temperatures at or above 100°F. AccuWeather RealFeel temperatures, which account for factors like humidity and wind, are forecast to reach between 105°F and 110°F in these regions. Meteorologists warn that RealFeel temperatures in this range are considered dangerous and can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke with prolonged exposure.
Further north, Amarillo, Texas, could reach 105°F on Monday and 106°F on Tuesday. Billings, Montana, is forecast to hit 106°F on Friday, followed by 104°F on Saturday and 102°F on Sunday. Rapid City, South Dakota, may also reach 106°F on Saturday before dipping to 104°F on Sunday.
Denver, Colorado, is expected to reach 100°F on Saturday and 101°F on Sunday, while Salt Lake City could experience highs of 104°F throughout the weekend.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg stated that the core of the intense heat will gradually shift south and east, moving out of Montana and the Dakotas by Sunday and heading towards the Mississippi Valley region into next week. "When the intense heat backs off next week, most days will remain in the 90s through next week in that area," Lundberg added. "Meanwhile, the heat will escalate farther south in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and portions of the Mississippi Valley."
By early next week, major cities such as Kansas City, St. Louis, and Memphis could experience multiple days at or above the century mark, marking the hottest weather of the season so far. The combination of extreme heat and high humidity, particularly over the Mississippi Valley, is expected to drive RealFeel temperatures to 110°F or higher.
While thunderstorms arriving Tuesday night into Wednesday might offer some relief, the cooldown is anticipated to be limited. Temperatures are expected to fall into the low to mid-90s across much of the affected region through the middle of next week, though RealFeel temperatures could still reach 100°F during the afternoon.
Long-range expert Paul Pasetlok cited a combination of long-term drought and a rapidly developing El Niño as the primary drivers of this heat wave. "The dry ground heats up intensely from the strong mid-summer sun, while the rapidly intensifying El Niño is contributing to high pressure blocking cooling rains from occurring," Pasetlok explained. "It's not an extremely intense high, but it's a stubborn one, and it's fueling heat that's spread into the Midwest as well."