Summer roars in with a vengeance over U.S. Southwest

Be sure to check the forecast for any excessive heat advisories in your area before venturing out.

Be sure to check the forecast for any excessive heat advisories in your area before venturing out. (Image credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Today’s solstice, at 6:34 pm Eastern, marks the first day of astronomical summer, and the U.S. Southwest is feeling the heat.  

Heat advisories or excessive heat warnings are in effect for about 30 million people in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and the pattern is locked in with forecasts calling for record-setting, triple-digit temperatures throughout much of the region this week. NOAA’s National Weather Service is predicting above-average temperatures across virtually all of the United States for the next three months.

The hot temperatures, combined with low humidity and high winds, are lending to a high risk of wildfires this week in southern California, particularly the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. 

When the mercury hits red this summer, be Weather-Ready and prepared to beat the heat.