Dangerous, record-breaking heat expected to continue spreading across U.S., forecasters say
Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said.
Oppressive heat and humidity could team up to spike temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
In Oregon, records could be broken in cities including Eugene, Portland and Salem, Asherman said. Dozens of other records throughout the U.S. could fall, Asherman said, causing millions to seek relief from the blanket of heat in cooling centers from Bullhead City, Arizona, to Norfolk, Virginia.
"Certainly a pretty anomalous event that we're expecting here, which looks like it will continue through at least midweek," Asherman said.
The National Weather Service said Saturday it was extending the excessive heat warning for much of the Southwest into Friday.
"A dangerous and historic heatwave is just getting started across the area, with temperatures expected to peak during the Sunday-Wednesday timeframe," the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said in an updated forecast.
Excessive heat will likely continue through Friday, the service said.
In sweltering Las Vegas, where the temperature hit 100 by 10:30 a.m., Marko Boscovich said the best way to beat the heat is in a seat at a slot machine with a cold beer inside an air-conditioned casino.
"But you know, after it hits triple digits it's about all the same to me," said Boscovich, who was visiting from Sparks, Nevada to see a Dead & Company concert later Saturday night at the Sphere. "Maybe they'll play one of my favorites — `Cold Rain and Snow.'"
In Sacramento, firefighter paramedic Julie Whitney was on high alert.
"People are experiencing dizziness, nausea. A lot of those symptoms are just making them very weak," said Whitney, adding that heat illnesses can occur within 15 minutes.
Worst weather yet to come
The worst was yet to come across much of the West, with triple-digit temperatures likely — between 15 and 30 degrees higher than average into next week, the National Weather Service said.
By 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said the temperature already had risen to 100 degrees in Phoenix, which saw a record high of 118 F for the date on Friday.
Meteorologists predict temperatures will be near daily records region-wide through most, if not all, of the coming week with lower desert highs reaching 115 to 120 degrees.
California is expected to experience some of the worst effects of the heat wave on Saturday, forecasters said, with temperatures likely to reach into the 110s.
Rare heat advisories had been extended even into the upper elevations, including around Lake Tahoe, California, with the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, warning of "major heat risk impacts, even in the mountains."
In California's Death Valley, known as one of the hottest places on Earth, a new heat record for the day was set on Friday. The previous high shattered by 5 degrees, with the mercury climbing to 127 degrees. The old mark of 122 degrees was last tied in 2013.
Palm Springs, California, hit 124 degrees Friday, breaking the city's all-time record high of 123 degrees.
Firefighters in California were dispatching aircraft and helicopters to drop water or retardant on a series of wildfires around the state. In Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles, the so-called Lake Fire scorched over 19 square miles of grass, brush and timber with zero containment as of Saturday afternoon. Firefighters said the blaze was displaying "extreme fire behavior" and had the "potential for large growth" with high temperatures and low humidity.
About 40 miles northeast of Sacramento, a wildfire broke out Saturday near the city of Placerville, forcing mandatory evacuations, according to CBS Sacramento. The so-called Pay Fire was threatening the Placerville Airport and had burned at least 61 acres with no containment as of Saturday evening.
The Thompson wildfire engulfed Butte Country in Northern California this week and forced thousands to flee their homes. Evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings on Thursday. As of Saturday, the fire was 71% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Over the weekend, the excessive heat and humidity will shift east to the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, with temperatures expected to break into the high 90s and low 100s.
Baltimore and others parts of Maryland were under an excessive heat warning, as heat index values could climb to 110 degrees, forecasters said.
"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," said a National Weather Service advisory for the Baltimore area. "Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances."
The National Weather Service encouraged people to stay vigilant, noting that heat impacts can compound over time and pose a threat to health and safety. The above-average temperatures can be expected to last into next week, forecasters said.
"It is imperative to stay hydrated, out of direct sunlight, and in buildings with sufficient air-conditioning when possible," said the weather service. "It is also equally as important to check on the safety of vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said earlier this week that the state was taking steps to ensure the most vulnerable Californians had access to resources, including cooling centers.
Heat-related deaths have been on the rise in recent years. In 2023, an estimated 2,300 deaths were linked to excessive heat, breaking previous records, an AP analysis found. In Arizona's Maricopa County, which encompasses Phoenix, there have been at least 13 confirmed heat-related deaths this year, along with more than 160 other suspected heat deaths are still under investigation, according to the county's most recent report.
That does not include the death of a 10-year-old boy earlier this week in Phoenix who suffered a "heat-related medical event" while hiking with family at South Mountain Park and Preserve, according to police.
Just this week, the Biden administration proposed a new rule intended to protect workers from the effects of extreme heat.