The Heat Wave

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Scorching temps

Millions of people in the western US are sweltering under a dangerous and historic October heat wave. At least 125 places from the West Coast to the Rockies have tied or broken all-time records for this month.

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?️ Mapped: Hottest year

Data: Southeast Regional Climate Center. Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios If you're in the two-thirds of the U.S. expecting dangerous, bone-chilling temperatures today, Axios climate expert Andrew Freedman momentarily transports us: Hundreds of cities coast to coast suffered record heat during 2024, with many crushing milestones set in 2023. Why it matters: The year's record temperatures include periods of extreme heat, which is a deadly hazard — and shows how long-term, human-caused climate change is playing out in communities. ? The bottom line: What is going on globally is also happening locally.

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?️ Mapped: Where spring's getting warmer

Data: Climate Central. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Spring is getting warmer overall and featuring more unusually hot days in most U.S. cities, Axios' Andrew Freedman writes from a new analysis. Why it matters: Warmer springs can worsen allergies and cause early snowmelt, which imperils summer water resources and heightens wildfire risks. ? By the numbers: Nonprofit climate research organization Climate Central examined 55 years of U.S. temperature data and found that 97% of the 241 cities analyzed saw a warming trend for the season. Keep reading ...

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?️ Mapped: Extra-hot summer

Data: NOAA. Map: Axios Visuals Unusually warm temperatures are expected to hit the U.S. this summer, according to a recently released NOAA climate outlook. Every state in the Lower 48 is projected to be hotter than average, with the odds highest over Utah and southwestern Texas.

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?️ Mapped: America's warming summers

Data: Climate Central. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Summers are getting warmer nearly nationwide, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a recently updated analysis. Why it matters: Hotter summers are one of the most tangible ways we're experiencing climate change — and they're a health risk for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, the elderly and homeless people. Zoom in: Reno, Nevada (+11.3°F), Boise, Idaho (+6.3°F), and El Paso, Texas (+6.2°F) saw the greatest rise in average summer temperatures between 1970 and 2024. Keep reading.

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Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn

Get ready for several years of even more record-breaking heat that pushes Earth to more deadly, fiery and uncomfortable extremes, two of the world’s top weather agencies forecast. Read More.

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?️ Mapped: Hotter summer nights

Data: Climate Central. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Summer evenings are getting warmer across much of the U.S. — especially in Nevada and other parts of the Southwest — "with a strong climate change fingerprint," Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new analysis. Average summer nighttime temperatures increased between 1970 and 2024 in 96% of 241 locations analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a research and communications group. Zoom in: Reno, Nev. (+17.7°F), Las Vegas (+10°F), El Paso, Texas (+8.9°F), and Salt Lake City (+8.2°F) saw the biggest increases. Keep reading.

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Heat dome

A heat dome is expected to send temperatures soaring to record-breaking levels over the weekend and into next week. According to the National Weather Service, more than 15 million people from Washington, DC, to Florida are under a level 3 of 4 heat risk today. Many places will experience highs in the low- to mid-90s. When factoring in the humidity, it will feel even hotter and stickier. Temperatures are also forecast to climb across parts of the Northeast and central US in advance of next week’s intense heat dome. That dome is forecast to expand across the central and eastern US, and high temperatures are predicted to rise at least 15 degrees above normal. It could feel as hot as 110 degrees, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region. If you’re going to be under the dome, take care. Heat remains the deadliest form of extreme weather in the US, contributing to more than 800 deaths annually since 1999.   Summer will make a dramatic entrance in the US this week with a heat dome A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity, said Ricky Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Illinois. This stretch is set to bring stifling temperatures and uncomfortable humidity to millions. Read more. Why this matters: Several states in the Midwest could see dangerous temperature impacts over the weekend. The heat will be particularly worrisome this weekend across wide stretches of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, where forecasters are warning of extreme temperature impacts.   Moisture blown northward from the Gulf Coast is fueling the muggy weather, said Jacob Asherman, a Weather Prediction Center meteorologist. This influx of Gulf moisture is fairly typical during late spring and summer, he said.   This will be the first stretch of true summertime weather for many from the Midwest to the East Coast, said Tom Kines, a meteorologist at the private weather company AccuWeather. “A lot of those folks have been saying, where’s summer? Well, buckle up, because it’s coming,” said Kines. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Erick upgraded to an ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 hurricane, US forecasters say   Scientists warn that greenhouse gas accumulation is accelerating and more extreme weather will come   EPA says power plant carbon emissions aren’t dangerous. We asked 30 scientists: Here’s what they say

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?️ Mapped: First summer heat wave

Data: NOAA Global Forecast System. (Forecasts as of yesterday at 2 a.m. ET.) Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Summer will make a dramatic entrance in the U.S. this week with a heat dome that will bring stifling temperatures and uncomfortable humidity to millions. (AP) The big picture: The high temperatures will be particularly worrisome this weekend across wide stretches of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. The heat will be widespread into next week: Denver could reach 100°F tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service. Chicago temperatures could reach 96°F on Sunday. On Tuesday, D.C. could see a high of 99°F. New York's Central Park could reach 96°F. Go deeper.

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How to stay cool in the heat wave hitting parts of the US — even without air conditioning

The first big heat wave of 2025 has arrived, coinciding with the official start of summer. More than 40 million people in the U.S. were under heat alerts Friday, and British health officials are also issuing heat warnings. Here are some tips to stay safe. Read More.

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?️ Mapped: Early summer scorcher

Image: National Weather Service Nearly 170 million Americans are under some form of heat advisory or warning from an early summer heat wave that's hitting large parts of the country, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Why it matters: The event, which broke temperature records across the West and Alaska before shifting east, is bringing an especially dangerous combination of heat and humidity. Much of the eastern U.S. is at "major" or "extreme" risk of heat-related impacts this week, according to the National Weather Service's experimental HeatRisk index (mapped above). Nearly 370 daily high-temperature records were tied or broken between last Monday and Saturday.

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Extreme heat bakes East Coast as New York City hits 100 degrees

Extensive triple digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday. Read More.   Central Park ties heat record, as NYC faces another day of extreme temperatures New York City and the Tri-State Area are under an excessive heat warning to start the week. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/extreme-heat-nyc-excessive-heat-warning/? Historic Heat Wave A record-breaking heat wave is scorching much of the eastern US, with some cities seeing their hottest June temperatures in over a decade. Driven by a powerful heat dome, temperatures have soared 15 to 20 degrees above normal—New York City exceeded its 1888 record Tuesday of 96 degrees—and heat indexes have climbed over 100 degrees in several cities. See updates here.   Millions remain under heat alerts as the multiday heat wave strains power grids, sparks outages, and disrupts travel, including damaged infrastructure such as buckled roads. Hot days often feel hotter due to high humidity, trapped heat, and elevated dew points, making conditions feel like a sauna. Urban areas are especially vulnerable due to the heat island effect, as asphalt and concrete trap heat overnight. Meteorologists say some relief is expected heading into the weekend.   Separately, Tropical Storm Andrea formed Tuesday in the Atlantic, becoming the first named storm of the 2025 hurricane season. It is not expected to impact any land.   Heat wave Tuesday was the hottest day in over a decade for many parts of the East Coast. Temperatures rose 15 to 20 degrees above normal and multiple major cities along the I-95 corridor saw highs at or above 100 degrees. Brought on by a potent heat dome, the brutal temps claimed at least one life and sent dozens to the hospital. The heat also disrupted train services and caused several roads in Wisconsin and Missouri to buckle. And the record-breaking hot spell is going to continue. A level 4-of-4 extreme heat risk is in place through at least Thursday from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and includes parts of the Northeast.

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Heat wave smashes records

Data: NCEI; Note: For stations that reported multiple record high temperatures, the highest is shown; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Heat records were broken this week in more than 280 locations across the U.S. Axios' Sareen Habeshian reports from NOAA data. New daily heat records were set in at least 50 cities on Tuesday alone. ☀️ Where it stands: Nearly 130 million people are under extreme heat warnings or advisories today, as a heat dome continues to scorch the Midwest and East Coast. And the heat wave is expected to continue at least into tomorrow. Go deeper.

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Heat dome

The heat is on — and millions are about to feel it. A new heat dome will be sealing in hot, humid air in the central and eastern US this week, sending temperatures soaring. Sizzling conditions will start to build from the Gulf Coast to the Plains today before expanding to the Midwest. Wednesday and Thursday could be the new hottest days of the year in Chicago, St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee. The heat will ramp up considerably on Thursday in parts of the Ohio Valley; Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati could come within a degree of or match their hottest day of the year so far. The most intense heat for the East Coast is expected to arrive by Friday, with high temperatures in the middle to upper 90s and a heat index of 100 degrees or more possible for Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

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"Corn sweat" under the heat dome

Data: NWS. Maps: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals A heat dome is bringing dangerous temperatures and humidity to much of the country east of the Rockies over the next few days. ? Heat warnings and advisories stretch from the Gulf to the Great Lakes as of this afternoon, covering 120.5 million Americans. ? The main driver is hot, moist air being drawn up from the Atlantic and trapped by a high pressure ridge. ? Also contributing in some places: "corn sweat," wherein vast amounts of growing corn and other produce give off moisture, further increasing humidity levels. ?️ Chicago's National Weather Service office is warning of afternoon heat indices as high as 110°F in some areas today and tomorrow, with little overnight relief.

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A heat dome and "corn sweat" are driving this week's dangerous heat wave

A heat dome — plus the "corn sweat" phenomenon in some areas — is bringing dangerous levels of heat and humidity to much of the country east of the Rockies this week.

https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/heat-wave-dome-corn-sweat-forecast?

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?️ 1 for the road: Extreme streak

Data: Climate Central. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Many U.S. cities now have more heat streaks on average each year compared to 1970, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new Climate Central analysis. Keep reading.

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Feel sticky this summer? That’s because it’s been record muggy East of the Rockies

More than 70 million Americans sweated through the muggiest first two months of summer on record as climate change has noticeably dialed up the Eastern United States’ humidity in recent decades, an Associated Press data analysis shows.

https://apnews.com/article/humid-muggy-sticky-climate-oppressive-summer-df1b506a3036a6ea0c4c8ad5bbd87429?

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?️ Stat du jour: Stickiest summer

Map: AP More than 70 million Americans east of the Rockies sweated through the muggiest first two months of summer on record, according to an AP analysis. Parts of 27 states and D.C. had a record amount of days that meteorologists call uncomfortable — with average daily dew points of 65°F or higher — in June and July. Go deeper.

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Hot and sticky

Sweltering summers are nothing new for much of the US, but the combination of heat and humidity this year is pushing people closer to their melting points. Our weather team breaks down what’s behind this especially soupy season.

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‘Warming hole’

Tens of millions of Americans have endured a sweltering summer — the season when the effects of climate change are arguably most apparent. It’s getting hotter, longer, more humid and more dangerous. But there’s a strange divide along geographic lines.

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?️ Mapped: Where fall is warming most

Data: Climate Central. Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Average fall temperatures are rising almost universally nationwide, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Between 1970 and 2024, average fall temperatures rose in 98% of the 243 cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group. ? Zoom in: Reno, Nev (+7.7°F); El Paso, Texas (+6.5°F) and Las Vegas (+6.2°F) saw the biggest increases over the covered period.

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?️ Mapped: Summer sticks around

Data: Climate Central. Map: Axios Visuals Summer temperatures are hanging around longer nationwide compared to the early 1970s, a new analysis finds, as climate change affects the four seasons, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Why it matters: Temperatures staying relatively high for longer periods can make life miserable for teachers and students in classrooms without A/C, mess with farmers' growing seasons, and elevate the risk of wildfires. ? By the numbers: Summer temperatures are lingering compared to 1970 in over 90% of the 246 U.S. cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group. Keep reading.

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The ‘blob’ is back — except this time it stretches across the entire North Pacific

A record-breaking and astonishingly expansive marine heat wave is underway in the Pacific Ocean, stretching about 5,000 miles from the water around Japan to the West Coast of the United States. The abnormally warm “blob” of ocean water, which is getting a significant boost from human-caused global warming, is affecting the weather on land and could have ripple effects on marine life.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/climate/pacific-ocean-blob-hot-water-global-warming?

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What the Pacific ‘blob’ + La Niña means for winter in the US

A marine heat wave spanning much of the North Pacific Ocean is already influencing the weather in North America and is poised to make its mark on winter.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/09/weather/winter-forecast-pacific-blob-la-nina-climate?