Dangerous heat stretching from the Southwest and Gulf Coast into the Great Plains and Midwest is expected to persist through the week, with high humidity and unusually warm nights increasing the risk of heat-related illness.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A sprawling heat dome settled over much of the central United States during the weekend, placing approximately 80 million people under heat advisories as forecasters warned that extreme temperatures could remain entrenched from Texas to North Dakota well into the coming week.
The broad area of high atmospheric pressure is trapping hot air near the surface and producing an extended period of oppressive conditions across a large portion of the country. High humidity is making temperatures feel even more severe, while overnight readings are expected to remain too warm to provide meaningful relief.
Forecasters said the lack of nighttime cooling could allow heat stress to accumulate over several consecutive days, particularly for people without reliable access to air conditioning and those who spend long periods outdoors.
The affected region extends from the desert Southwest and Gulf Coast through the Great Plains and into parts of the Midwest. Temperatures in some locations were forecast to rise between 10 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit above seasonal averages, while the Denver area faced the possibility of new records.
“It looks like it is going to be pretty much stationary in that position as we go through the week,” said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Parts of western Nebraska were placed under an extreme heat warning, with temperatures expected to reach 108 degrees Saturday and Sunday. The prolonged heat was also forecast to push readings above 100 degrees in portions of Montana and Wyoming, including areas that typically experience more moderate summer conditions.
The weather altered travel, tourism and outdoor work throughout the region. At the Museum of the Fur Trade near Chadron, Nebraska, attendance was lower than normally expected for the season.
The museum’s fur hats and pelts attracted little interest during the intense heat, although lightweight historical shirts continued to sell among visitors preparing for frontier reenactment gatherings known as rendezvous.
“I’m sure no one would be willing to wear it on a day like this,” museum employee Hannah Lovelace said of the heavier merchandise.
Las Vegas also approached record territory as temperatures climbed to approximately 114 degrees in the valley Saturday. The conditions were especially demanding for workers responsible for maintaining air-conditioning systems during the hottest part of the year.
HVAC repair technician Kristian “Flaco” Santos spent hours outdoors repairing cooling units, often climbing onto residential rooftops or entering attics where temperatures can run 15 degrees hotter than the air outside.
“It is brutal,” Santos said, noting that the work is not suitable for everyone. “I’m not Superman, but I do, I do take care of myself when I’m in the heat.”
Santos said he wears long-sleeve shirts and hoodies to limit direct sun exposure, consumes water supplemented with electrolytes and pauses periodically to cool down. He urged other outdoor workers to take similar precautions rather than attempting to work continuously in dangerous conditions.
“You want to get home to your family safe,” Santos said.
Some temporary relief may reach the central United States by next weekend, according to Oravec, although any improvement could be short-lived. Much of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Pacific Northwest is expected to avoid the most extreme temperatures during this round of heat.
The latest heat dome follows several punishing periods of summer weather. An intense early-July heat wave across the eastern United States forced communities to cancel Independence Day events and disrupted activities connected to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Another period of dangerous heat struck the Southwest and Great Plains during the middle of July.
Extreme temperatures have also affected other parts of the world. France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than normally expected during a June heat wave that spread across Europe.
Cities and event organizers prepared additional safety measures as the latest heat intensified. Fans attending Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were to be given access to water refill stations and designated cooling locations. Spectators were also permitted to bring packed coolers.
Denver recreation centers planned to reserve air-conditioned spaces where residents could escape the heat.
Health authorities warned that the combination of elevated daytime temperatures, humidity and warm nights could be especially dangerous for children, older adults and people with existing medical conditions. Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, a potentially fatal emergency, when the body can no longer regulate its temperature.
Officials advised residents to remain in air-conditioned buildings or visit cooling centers when possible, drink sufficient water, reduce strenuous activity and limit exposure to direct sunlight.
The location of the most severe heat is expected to shift during the week. By Wednesday, Texas and portions of the Gulf Coast could experience some of the most dangerous conditions beneath the dome.
The continental United States recorded its second-hottest first six months of any year on record in 2026, according to average-temperature data maintained by the National Centers for Environmental Information. June ranked as the country’s 18th-warmest June.
Scientists cannot always determine in real time how much climate change contributed to an individual weather event. However, rising concentrations of carbon dioxide associated with fossil-fuel combustion increase the likelihood that heat waves will become more frequent, intense and persistent, according to Andy Pershing, chief program officer at the climate communications nonprofit Climate Central.
“We are experiencing exactly what the climate models in the 1990s said we should experience now. That is more frequent, more severe heat waves, bigger temperature anomalies, more humidity, higher overnight temperatures,” Pershing said. “These are all part and parcel of the climate story.”
With the heat dome forecast to remain largely stationary, millions of people across the central United States face several more days of dangerous daytime temperatures and limited overnight recovery before conditions begin to ease.
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