As the U.S. braces for a week of extreme weather, officials warn residents to prepare for a variety of severe conditions ranging from intense heat in the Southwest to heavy rain in the Gulf states and snow in the Rockies. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued advisories covering these disparate weather threats.
In the Southwest, a heatwave has spread across Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Texas, Colorado, and Kansas. Over 63 million people were under heat advisories on Sunday, with temperatures soaring to dangerous levels. Phoenix hit 112 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, easing slightly to 110 degrees on Sunday. Meteorologists warn that the first two weeks of June in Phoenix have been the hottest on record, averaging 5.6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the NWS in Phoenix, advised residents to limit outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., stay hydrated, and wear light, loose-fitting clothing. The heat in Phoenix is expected to ease slightly early in the week but is likely to spike again, prompting another excessive heat warning. In recent years, heat has proven especially dangerous in the Phoenix metro area, where 645 people died from heat-related causes in 2023.
New Mexico is also experiencing extreme temperatures, with a heat advisory in effect for Chavez County, including Roswell, where temperatures are forecast to hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. Albuquerque reached 99 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, while El Paso, Texas, recorded a high of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting the opening of cooling centers.
Colorado is facing varied conditions, with temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Denver and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Pueblo. The heatwave is expected to move eastward into the Plains and the Great Lakes, reaching the Northeast by Tuesday. Cities like Washington, D.C., and areas in New England could see temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, with high humidity making conditions even more oppressive.
The Pacific Northwest and the Rockies are experiencing unseasonably cold weather. Parts of Montana and north-central Idaho are under a winter storm warning, with up to 20 inches of snow expected in higher elevations around Glacier National Park. The northern Rockies are bracing for heavy, wet snow early in the week, a stark contrast to the sweltering conditions elsewhere in the country.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast is preparing for heavy rain and potential flooding. A surge of tropical moisture is expected to bring significant rainfall to the central Gulf Coast, starting Monday and intensifying through the week. This follows recent severe flooding in southern Florida, where up to 20 inches of rain submerged areas around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, disrupting travel and daily life.
The early start of the hurricane season has added to the weather woes, with predictions of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts between 17 and 25 named storms, including up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes, compared to an average season of 14 named storms.
As the country grapples with these extreme weather conditions, the National Interagency Fire Center reports nearly two dozen wildfires burning across the U.S. Over 2,000 firefighters and support staff are deployed to combat these blazes, with significant fires in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. A wildfire in southern California, which has burned more than 16 square miles, forced 1,200 people to evacuate and is currently only 2% contained.
