Millions face treacherous conditions as heat dome expands across central US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dangerously hot weather will expand across much of the central United States this weekend and into next week, pushing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) from Dallas to North Dakota with roughly 70 million people facing heat advisories.A heat dome, where atmospheric conditions trap heat, will create sustained high temperatures and accumulating discomfort.Overnight low temperatures aren’t expected to come down enough for people to have much chance to recover, allowing heat stress to build as the bad weather lingers, forecasters said.
The high humidity will make it feel even worse.A huge stretch of the country will endure the oppressive midsummer weather.It will stretch from the desert Southwest to the Gulf Coast, reaching up into the Midwest and Great Plains.
Some records around the Denver area may be broken, forecasters said.Temperatures are expected to be 10 F to 15 F (5.6 to 8.3 C) above what’s normal.“It looks like it is going to be pretty much stationary in that position as we go through the week,” said Bob Oravec, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.Places under a National Weather Service extreme heat warning included western Nebraska, where temperatures Saturday and Sunday were forecast to reach 108 F (42 C).At the Museum of the Fur Trade near Chadron, Nebraska, there were fewer visitors than usual for this time of year.
Meanwhile, fur hats and pelts in the gift shop weren’t selling so hot.“I’m sure no one would be willing to wear it on a day like this,” said museum employee Hannah Lovelace.Loose-fitting, period-correct fabric shirts, on the other hand, remained popular sellers among folks headed to historical frontier re-enactments called rendezvous, she said.The region’s heat was forecast to continue through the week, with temperatures topping 100 F (37 C) even in normally moderate areas of Montana and Wyoming.There might be some relief in the central United States toward next...