Hottest Weather of the Season Bearing Down on Central and Eastern U.S.

A heat wave is going to leave millions of Americans in the central and eastern portions of the country sweltering in the days ahead. Read on for more information about the impending blast of hot temperatures.

Temperatures Soaring Across Central and Eastern U.S.

The highest temperatures since last summer are on the way for the central and eastern U.S. Readings will hover near the century mark across several states, combining with the rising humidity levels to create potentially dangerous conditions. The latest estimates predict that about 170 million people will see the mercury climb to at or above 90 degrees over the next few days.

The mass of heat will creep to the east across the country into the early part of next week, ejecting out of the Rockies before making its way across the Plains states and to the East Coast. It has been unseasonably cool for large parts of the northern Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast this year. This will mean that many people may be surprised by the building heat.

The anticipated high humidity levels will translate to warmer overnight temperatures. Some areas may see overnight lows slip into 70s for just a short time period, putting strain on energy systems that will not get a break.

Forecasters are predicting that real feel readings will hover at up to 15 degrees over the actual air temperatures. As a result, many communities will experience temperatures that feel well into the triple digits.

The interior portions of the West saw the temperatures begin to climb noticeably on Thursday. Metro areas such as Salt Lake City and Denver recorded the toastiest readings of the year, challenging record highs. These temperatures were 10 to 20 degrees above the historical average for the middle of June.

Denver is predicted to see at least four consecutive days with temperatures that reach the 90s or higher, lingering through Sunday. Friday and Saturday are forecast to be the hottest days with highs eclipsing the century mark. The stretch will be the first time that the Mile High City has experienced triple-digit heat this season.

The heat bubble is expected to progress to the east as the weekend kicks off. Detroit could see at least seven consecutive days of readings in the 90s beginning on Saturday. Keep in mind that Detroit has not sniffed the 90-degree barrier at all this year. You have to go back to July of 2020 to find the last time that the metro area recorded seven straight days with temperatures at this threshold.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

The heat wave will track into the Great Lakes, the central Appalachians, the mid-Atlantic region, and New England by the end of the weekend and into early next week. The northeastern corner of the country will see the peak heat between June 23 and June 25. The long-range forecast is indicating that some communities could see the triple digits at this time.

The silver lining in this region is that the moist ground could work to limit the severe impacts of the heat. This is because a good part of the sun's energy will be focused on sucking up the existing moisture in the ground rather than heating up the air temperatures.

The flip side of this effect is that the evaporating moisture will raise humidity levels across the region. Higher humidity levels will naturally make it feel warmer and more uncomfortable.

It has been a volatile stretch of weather for the eastern U.S. with several rounds of rain showers and thunderstorms popping up. While the storm activity will ease heading into the weekend, there is still the chance that severe weather could ignite along the northern flank of the heat dome. The most likely area for storms over the weekend includes the Great Lakes, upstate New York, and up into New England.