Roughly 100 million people across the United States are under extreme heat conditions as a heat dome pushes dangerous temperatures from the West into the Plains and Northeast. The hottest stretch is expected to hit the Northern Tier on Tuesday and the Northeast on Wednesday.
The spread is wide and the risks are rising. Forecasts call for temperatures 20 to 30 degrees above average in some areas, with the heat index climbing into the high 90s and above 100 for several days.
Records and warnings stretch across multiple states
Billings, Montana, hit 111 degrees on Sunday, setting a record high, while Salt Lake City reached 109 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. In Utah, most of the state was under an extreme heat warning that was expected to remain in place through Tuesday morning.
Forecasters also issued extreme heat warnings for large parts of the Dakotas. The National Weather Service said the hazardous heat could linger in the central U.S. through next weekend, even as it shifts eastward at times.
| Location or Region | What’s Happening | Key Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Billings, Montana | Record high of 111 degrees | Sunday |
| Salt Lake City | Reached 109 degrees, an all-time high | Sunday |
| Utah | Extreme heat warning in place | Through Tuesday morning |
| Dakotas | Extreme heat warnings for vast sections of both states | Current |
Weather officials described the prolonged heat as “exceptionally rare” in some places, even in mid-July. They said the situation could push widespread highs between 105 and 115 degrees and raise the chance of heat-related illness, including heat stroke.
Wildfires add another layer of danger
The same heat dome helped build conditions for fire danger in the West. In California, the Summit Fire in the Antelope Valley forced evacuations outside Los Angeles as it burned nearly 3,000 acres, while the Los Angeles County Fire Department said containment had reached 31% by Sunday evening, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Two more wildfires were sparked on Sunday in Colorado’s high country as crews continued fighting the Aspen Acres Fire, which had burned more than 850 structures, including hundreds of homes. Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper said the state needs more funding to battle wildfires after touring damage this week.
“There have been huge cuts to the fire service, to the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], there’ve been cuts everywhere,” Hickenlooper said.
Heavy rain and flooding are still hitting other regions
While much of the country focuses on extreme heat, the South is dealing with a separate threat from heavy rain and flooding. In Louisiana, thunderstorms dropped several inches of rain on New Orleans and left families wading through knee-high water.
Missouri also saw historic flash flooding on Saturday, when rescue crews airlifted more than 200 people stuck at a children’s camp after 6 to 12 inches of rain fell in the southeastern part of the state. In the Philadelphia area, communities were cleaning up after powerful microbursts brought gusts up to 70 miles per hour, and Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a Declaration of Disaster Emergency, CBS Philadelphia reported.
Extreme heat is expected to keep affecting parts of Southern California and Arizona through Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach the 90s and 100s, especially in the desert Southwest. Overnight lows in Southern California could also stay unusually warm, adding to the strain as the hot spell continues.