Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Extreme heat wave challenging numerous records in the Southwest U.S.

Temperatures could reach 130 degrees in Death Valley this weekend

Forecast for Death Valley
Forecast for Death Valley, Calif.
Las Vegas National Weather Service office

An extreme and prolonged heat wave will challenge several records next weekend in the American Southwest.

NOAA GFS upper air forecast
Global Forecast System upper-air forecast for Sunday, July 16
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Tropical Tidbits

A massive dome of high pressure is building over the southwestern United States. The system will amplify the heat wave as it builds into the weekend.

Heat wave dynamics
Heat wave dynamics.
Las Vegas National Weather Service office

Records challenged

Numerous all-time hot temperature records look likely to be challenged or broken across the region this weekend.

Here are a few notable records to watch.

Phoenix

Phoenix already set a daily high minimum temperature record Wednesday. The lowest temperature in Phoenix Wednesday morning was 94 degrees.

Wednesday was the 13th straight day at or above 110 degrees in Phoenix. The record is 19 days. That record looks likely to be broken next week.

Las Vegas

The hottest temperature on record for Las Vegas is 117 degrees set in July 2021. The current forecast from the Las Vegas National Weather Service office is for 118 on Sunday.

Las Vegas forecast
Las Vegas forecast
NWS Las Vegas

Death Valley

The hottest temperature ever reliably recorded on earth happened in Death Valley, Calif., on July 9, 2021. The temperature reached 130 degrees that day. (A temperature of 134 degrees was recorded in Death Valley in 1913, but that is not considered reliable by many climate experts.)

The current forecast for Furnace Creek in Death Valley for Sunday and Monday is 129 degrees. The valley floor near Badwater Basin could be even hotter. The current forecast there from the Las Vegas NWS office is 131 degrees.

Forecast for Death Valley
Forecast for Death Valley
Las Vegas NWS office

So both the intensity and duration of the extreme heat wave in the Southwest U.S. may be setting some all-time records in the next week.