Level 4 Heat Threat Slams Desert Southwest

While the eastern U.S. is cooling off after last week's record-breaking heat wave, the mercury is climbing in the western third of the country. A new heat dome is emerging across the Desert Southwest, threatening to bring new season-high temperatures by the end of the week. Here is a look at how hot it is going to get under this Level 4 heat threat.

Desert Southwest and Interior West Will Sizzle Through the Weekend

The Desert Southwest is the nation's next hot spot as a heat dome builds over the region. Temperatures are forecast to peak across the interior West over the next few days, reaching levels about 5 to 10 degrees above the historical average for the second week of July.

This corner of the country saw seasonal high marks a few months ago during the spring heat wave. These levels are likely to be surpassed as the week comes to a close.

How toasty will it get? Highs are expected to reach about 114 degrees on both Thursday and Friday in Phoenix before slipping to 112 on Saturday. Overnight lows will bottom out in the low 90s during this stretch, providing no relief from the heat.

You will find a similar degree of heat in Palm Springs. The resort town in the desert of Southern California will roast with temperatures in the low to mid 110s. Moving to the north into Las Vegas, highs will crest at about 110 degrees through Saturday.

Although it will not be quite as hot outside of the immediate Southwest, it will still be unseasonably warm in the coastal region of Southern California. Los Angeles is forecast to see highs in the mid to upper 80s, good enough to hit a few degrees over the average for this time of the year in the City of Angels.

The heat dome will expand farther to the north and the east beginning Friday. For instance, Salt Lake City will see highs eclipse the century on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Although it will feel like a furnace in the Desert Southwest and interior portions of the West, heat of this magnitude is quite common in this part of the country. That said, residents and visitors will still want to take the appropriate precautions when spending time outside of the air conditioning.

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