An historic heat wave that has helped create tinderbox conditions in Colorado and other Western states is moving east, with record-breaking temperatures expected in at least 13 states Thursday, from Oklahoma to Ohio. Already during the past seven days, 1,701 warm temperature records had been tied or set across the U.S., compared to 401 cool temperature records during the same period.
As occurred during the March 2012 heat wave, some of the records that have fallen eclipsed readings not seen since the Dust Bowl-era of the 1930s. The National Weather Service is describing the heat as “debilitating,” warning millions of Americans affected to take precautions against heat-related illness.
The heat in the West has helped fuel the devastating wildfires in Colorado, where the Waldo Canyon Fire burned hundreds of homes in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now that the heat is moving east, it is prompting concerns about the U.S. corn crop, which is particularly sensitive to dry and hot conditions at this time of year.
Benkelman, Neb., set a monthly high temperature record on Wednesday, when the temperature hit 114°F, breaking the old mark of 111°F set in 1936. Dodge City, Kan., set an all-time high temperature record of 111°F, beating the previous mark of 110°, which was set just a day before. (Track record temperatures using Climate Central's Record Tracker.) As The Weather Channel noted, at least 10 cities in the Rockies and High Plains had high temperatures that were hotter than Death Valley, Calif. on June 26.
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