A historic heat wave continued its march across the nation Sunday after Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver joined a plethora of cities and towns posting record temperatures and more than 50 million Americans sweltered under heat advisories.
Temperatures in California’s Death Valley climbed above 120 degrees while in Phoenix a man grilled burgers and baked a cake on his dashboard. Parts of Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi also faced weekend heat advisories, according to the National Weather Service.
Blame a northward bulge in the jet stream that unfolded over the Southwestern states this week, AccuWeather said. The bulge allowed air more typical of midsummer to spread over the region. For some cities that meant recording the highest temperatures of the year so far.
MORE THAN 80 MILLION PEOPLE WARNED OF HIGH TEMPS Saturday after Phoenix, Las Vegas hit record highs
Even the normal cooling that occurs when the sun goes down was providing little respite. The National Weather Service in Nashville warned that it will be hot this week.
“Here’s the bigger issue: Morning lows are only going to *cool* into the upper 70s with VERY humid conditions,” the weather service warned. “Continuous heat like this can cause #Heat illnesses and injuries to vulnerable populations.”
RECORD HIGH TEMPS? How to stay safe during a heat wave
Denver reached 100 degrees Saturday, a record for the day and the earliest in the summer the city ever hit triple digits. Temperatures surpassing 100 degrees were also rolling across parts of New Mexico and Texas.
The excessive heat that’s been gripping much of the Lone Star State is far from over, AccuWeather forecasters warn. The overall weather pattern has been largely stuck in place for more than a week, which has allowed heat to build across the south-central United States and Desert Southwest, and rounds of severe weather have targeted the Plains.
“Some impressive tree damage on east side of K-State campus with buildings damaged,” the weather service in Topeka tweeted Sunday. “A lot of multi-directional tree fall and substantial limbs 4-8″ diameter carried a long ways.”
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE WEATHER? Subscribe to USA TODAY’s free weekly Climate Point newsletter
The weather service in Pittsburgh warned storms could roll across western Pennsylvania along with a heavy dose of high heat: “If you are not a fan of the heat, well…only 192 days until the 1st day of winter.”
In California, thousands of residents headed for the beach.
“Just to escape the heat really,” San Bernardino resident Christine Ramirez told KABC-TV on Newport Beach. “We just wanted a family day so we all just came out… get early parking, and stay out here the whole day.”
At least the crazy heat that found Death Valley was not a threat to the all-time record. It topped out at 134 degrees July 10, 1913.
In Arizona, meteorologists warned of high “heat risk” until Monday with highs up to 115 degrees. Residents were warned to limit outdoor activities. In Phoenix, TikToker Joe Brown’s thermometer showed a temperature of 202 degrees inside his car.
“The patties were well done and that’s how I like my hamburgers so I know this is going to be good,” Brown said as he scooped them up from a tray that had been sitting on the dashboard. “If you are ever too lazy to cook on your stove, just cook in your car. This burger was a definite 10 out of 10.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism