Record Smashing Heat Dome Could Make Arizona Even Hotter

With 40-plus days of record-breaking heat across the country his summer, it seems as though we're experiencing a weather cycle of Biblical proportions.

According to data from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the highest temperature recorded in Phoenix on August 1st, 2023 was 118 degrees. This summer alone, Phoenix has set a record with 31 straight days where the thermometer registered 110 degrees or hotter.

Welcome to the Heat Dome

Scientists are attributing this year's record-smashing heat to a La Niña global weather pattern. NOAA.gov explains:

"El Niño and La Niña can both have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies.

 

Episodes of El Niño and La Niña typically last nine to 12 months, but can sometimes last for years.

 

El Niño and La Niña events occur every two to seven years, on average, but they don’t occur on a regular schedule. Generally, El Niño occurs more frequently than La Niña."

And that global weather pattern is the gift that keeps on giving. Giving pain, that is. A new heat dome is making its way across the united states.

Basically, a heat dome is similar to the effect of putting a lid on a boiling pot. That warm air rises and encompasses the area below, creating warmer conditions in the pot.

Will It Get Hotter?

The heat isn't showing signs of lifting anytime soon, as temperatures continue to hover around 100 degrees or hotter throughout the desert Southwest.

With the near-absent monsoon this season, we're all hoping for more typical weather this fall. The news doesn't look good. This heat dome may continue a while longer.