PHOENIX — The southwestern U.S. is about to feel the wrath of a punishing heat wave that includes a forecast of 120 degrees (48.8 Celsius) in Phoenix — a temperature not seen in the desert city in more than 20 years.
The broiling temperatures will also be felt in Las Vegas and Southern California, creating a public health hazard. Rising temps are being closely watched by everyone from airline pilots and emergency room doctors to power grid managers and mountain cities unaccustomed to heat waves.
Even cities accustomed to dealing with 110-degree (43-Celsius) days are grappling with the new problems that arise from 120 degrees (48.8 Celsius).
Schools are letting out, Memorial Day is nearly here, and for many Americans that means the unofficial start of summer. And if it's summer, then it 's time to start paying attention to the risk of extreme heat. According to NOAA’s summer outlook, most of the United States is favored to have a hotter than average summer in 2017. Only in the Great Plains do forecasters think the chances for a cool or a normal summer are equal to the chances of a hot summer. Everywhere else—from Alaska to southern California, and from Maine to Texas—odds are tilted toward well above average warmth. The absolute highest chances for a much warmer than usual summer are in Hawaii. (see the large version of the map below for Hawaii and Alaska.
The Climate Program Office's Juli Trtanj will deliver an update on the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS)’s national and trans-boundary activities.
CPO is releasing its 2016 Annual Report, which gives an overview of FY16 achievements and highlights the great work done by CPO Divisions and Programs to advance scientific understanding of climate and improve society's ability to plan and respond.
An executive summary of the National Integrated Heat Health Information System workshop in July, 2016 outlines outcomes and recommendations for different aspects of heat health resilience in the El Paso-Juárez-Las Cruces Region.
P: (301) 734-1214
Hunter Jones (UCAR)
Special Projects Manager
P: (301) 734-1215
Sarah Giltz (Knauss Fellow)
Sea Grant Knauss Fellow
P: (301) 734-1214
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Department of Commerce
Climate Program Office
1315 East-West Hwy, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910
Americans’ health, security and economic wellbeing are tied to climate and weather. Every day, we see communities grappling with environmental challenges due to unusual or extreme events related to climate and weather. In 2011, the United States experienced a record high number (14) of climate- and weather-related disasters where overall costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. Combined, these events claimed 670 lives, caused more than 6,000 injuries, and cost $55 billion in damages. Businesses, policy leaders, resource managers and citizens are increasingly asking for information to help them address such challenges.
Copyright 2018 by NOAA
NOAA Privacy Statement|
Web Accessibility Statement|
Disclaimer for External Links|
U.S. Department of Commerce|