New Heat Dome Is Deepening the Drought Crisis out West

The western U.S. is in desperate need of rain as the ongoing drought worsens. Instead, the forecast is calling for more heat that puts a lid on any potential monsoonal moisture. Read on for the details of the hot and dry forecast.

Unseasonably Hot Temperatures in Store for the Interior West

A new heat dome is building across much of the West, sending the mercury to 5 to 10 degrees above the historical average. While the hot temperatures are not expected to be as intense as heat domes earlier in the year, it will still feel quite toasty for many cities in the interior West.

Downtown Los Angeles will sizzle with highs that approach the 90-degree mark for several days beginning in the middle of the week. It will be even hotter moving farther inland. The desert resort town of Palm Springs, California, will bounce around with highs in the 110s. You will find a similar forecast for Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

The greatest departure from the normal temperatures will be across parts of Utah, Idaho, and the eastern halves of Washington and Oregon. For instance, Salt Lake City is bracing for highs in the upper 90s on Wednesday before reaching the century mark on Thursday. This compares to historical averages in the low 90s for the middle of August.

The duration of this heat wave will inherently put a strain on cooling systems. A lack of moisture and intense sunshine will send the real feel readings several degrees higher than the actual air temperature during the peak afternoon heating hours.
 
The high pressure that will dominate the weather pattern will also suppress the chance of the afternoon thunderstorms that typically ignite this time of the year as a result of the North American monsoon season. While a few storms may pop up sporadically, the majority of the interior West will remain high and dry.

Widespread Drought Becoming More Worrisome as Water Levels Plunge

The ongoing drought conditions across much of the West are evident in record-low water levels across the region's major reservoirs. Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead are sitting at record-low levels, prompting local officials to warn residents that water restrictions could be imminent.

The water crisis is the result of a string of dry winters across the West. The entirety of the Colorado River basin has been put under strain due to the lack of snow over the last few years. The Colorado River flows from the Rockies and into Lake Powell and Lake Mead, supplying about 40 million people in the West with their water supplies.

Looking ahead to the end of the weekend, the western edge of the heat dome is forecast to shift to the east. This will hopefully support the development of more thunderstorms for the interior West before the next heat dome builds at the end of August. There is also hope that an intensifying El Niño could lead to a more active storm track across the West this winter.

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