Dangerous heat will expand across California and the Southwest as a heat dome settles over the West, sending highs well above the historical average and increasing wildfire danger.
The large dome of high pressure bringing dangerous temperatures to central portions of the Plains this week will shift west by late week. As this occurs, temperatures are expected to climb well above the historical average across much of the Southwest and interior California with many locations forecast to experience their highest temperatures of the year so far.
By Friday, the heat dome is expected to be centered over Utah, allowing excessive heat to expand across much of the Southwest and interior California. The heat dome could center even farther southwest for a time in early August.
“Given the forecast position of the high pressure area associated with the expansive heat dome in the West, there could be enough easterly breezes to bring intense heat to the Los Angeles Basin next weekend with highs well into the 90s F possible,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said…