An unusually strong heat dome will scorch much of the western United States this weekend, bringing the hottest temperatures so far this year to tens of millions from California to Canada.
Dozens of record highs are expected to fall in at least 12 states in the West through the weekend with around 40 million people under heat alerts. Over 10% of the continental US will experience their hottest day of 2026 to date in the coming days.
High temperatures will climb to more than 10 degrees above normal — even for the peak of summer — from Southern California through Wyoming and Colorado from Friday through Tuesday. Death Valley, California, is forecast to reach a blistering 126 degrees on Saturday
But the hottest temperatures compared to normal will center over the northern Rockies and Plains with highs soaring up to 105 degrees. That’s nearly 20 degrees higher than they should be.
Human-caused climate change is making heat waves like this one more likely to occur, as well as more intense and longer-lasting, studies show.
