124 in Palm Springs? Historic heat wave toppling all-time temperature records in the West
A days-long historic heat wave across the West is showing no signs of abating any time soon and may incredibly break some all-time heat records on multiple days.
Some cities have already experienced their hottest temperatures on record, with more records threatened into next week.
A massive ridge of high pressure that is among the strongest ever measured in the region remains parked over Central California, where triple-digit heat is entering its fourth day Friday.
(FOX Weather)
Palm Springs, California reached a blistering 124 degrees Friday, the hottest temperature ever recorded in town, besting the previous record of 123 degrees set four times before, last done in 2021. That might sound more like temperatures expected in Death Valley, except that desert area reached 127 degrees, breaking its own daily heat record.
Highs in the central California valleys are climbing into the 105-118 range, with temperatures even soaring well over 110 in inland Monterey County, whose western border is the Pacific Ocean. Sacramento has been over 105 for three straight days, while for Redding and Fresno, the temperature has reached 110 or more.
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 05: A woman holds iced drinks against her forehead as the temperature reaches 119 degrees on July 5, 2024 in Palm Springs, California. The official temperature is 124 degrees at the nearby regional airport. (David McNe
Redding broke its daily high temperature on Friday at 117, and its forecast high of 118 on Saturday would tie its hottest day on record.
North of the border into Oregon, Medford sizzled to 109 degrees on Friday, shattering the previously daily high temperature record of 102, which had stood for 113 years.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco – usually cooled by the surrounding waters – reached into the upper 80s the past three days, while San Jose reached 102.
Las Vegas could break its heat record on several dates
The heat ridge is forecast to slowly drift east into southern Nevada early next week and anchor there through the middle of the week, threatening all-time record highs.
Las Vegas Record Highs (FOX Weather)
Las Vegas has a chance to tie or break their all-time heat record of 117 degrees for five consecutive days! The forecast high in the city from Sunday through Thursday ranges from 116-118 degrees.
But record-breaking heat potential is spread across the West. Over 45 million people are under heat alerts into next week, including just about all of Washington, Oregon and California. Nearly 29 million of them are under Excessive Heat Warnings.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEATSTROKE
Portland, Oregon, is looking at five consecutive days in triple-digit heat. Spokane is set to sizzle to 104 early next week. Even Seattle is looking at five straight days around or above 90 degrees — a rarity for summer.
West Coast Heat Alerts
The heat combined with bone-dry air and gusty winds has made conditions ripe for rapidly spreading wildfires. Fire Weather Watches are widespread across California and the Pacific Northwest through the weekend.
The heat should slowly abate toward the middle and end of next week though temperatures are forecast to remain above normal through the rest of the extended forecast.