Energy & Science
The Heat Dome Boiling Northwest U.S. Already Has Clear Climate Link
When hot air expands under extreme summertime temperatures, it can become a mountain of heat that just won’t move.
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It looked like a mistake several days ago when weather models began forecasting temperatures of approximately 115° Fahrenheit heat in Portland, Oregon. Then it happened. The National Weather Service has now recorded 116°F (46.7°C) at the Portland International Airport.
The heat in the Pacific Northwest is unprecedented but the dynamics involved are straightforward. Summertime heat warms air above the ground or ocean, which then rushes up into the atmosphere to create a dome air that blocks new systems from moving in. That’s how the term “heat dome” has become a newly present part of the climate vocabulary in the U.S and Canada.