See how the heat dome puts a lid on excessive temperatures in the Central and Southern US
The National Weather Service said the remainder of the week features a "strengthening heat dome over the Mississippi Valley today that gradually builds east towards the East Coast by week's end." A combination of mid-upper 90s temperatures and humid conditions are a recipe for "oppressive heat indices that range between 110-115 degrees for many areas along and east of the Mississippi River", the service added in a July 23 report.
Where the excessive heat is going
According to AccuWeather, temperatures will rise to 100 degrees almost every day for the next week or two in many locations. Prior to this week, several of these locations had not yet surpassed 100 degrees this year.
"The bottom line is that this has the look of a long-lasting heat wave with limited rainfall," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said in a recent press release. "Kansas City, Missouri, has not hit 100 degrees since Aug. 25, 2023, but is positioned to do so on multiple days during the upcoming heat dome."
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What causes a heat dome?
A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area, according to William Gallus, professor of in meteorology with the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University.
"The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven," Gallus said in an article in The Conversation.
Tips on keeping cool
What else can you do?
CONTRIBUTING John Bacon and Shawn Sullivan/USA TODAY
SOURCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Emergency Management Agency, AccuWeather and Windy.com
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