A major, multi-day heat wave is taking shape across the middle of the country, threatening to bring the most widespread 90-degree weather seen so far this year. The expanding heat dome will stretch from the Plains through the Midwest and push into the Eastern states over the coming days, while a ring of severe thunderstorms tracks along its outer edges.
Metropolitan areas throughout the central states are bracing for an extended stretch of high temperatures. Chicago is on track to see at least five consecutive days of 90-degree weather or higher next week, while St. Louis could log eight straight days at or above that mark.
Because many of these regions recently experienced heavy rainfall, the damp ground will trap moisture, driving up humidity levels. Afternoon RealFeel temperatures are expected to climb near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses like heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Large cities will also struggle to cool down at night, compounding the physical stress on residents without access to air conditioning.
The heart of this weather system will settle over the Ohio, middle Mississippi, and Tennessee valleys for much of next week, occasionally expanding toward the Great Lakes, the Gulf Coast, and the Atlantic seaboard.
“It will turn very hot and humid in the East by early next week (June 29-30),” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said. “Multiple days with highs well into the 90s are likely along the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic.”
While weather inside the core of the heat dome will remain largely dry, the perimeter will be highly unstable. Meteorologists are tracking the potential for massive thunderstorm complexes to ride the northern rim of the heat dome from the weekend into early next week. This specific atmospheric setup can trigger derechos—fast-moving, long-lived lines of severe intense thunderstorms.
“A round or two of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and flooding downpours from the Dakotas to the northern Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes is expected late this weekend into early next week,” Merrill noted. “There could be crop damage in Minnesota similar to what happened in mid-June.”
As the jet stream shifts next week, the threat of damaging storms will push eastward from eastern Canada into the northeastern U.S. In major Interstate 95 cities, the exact time these storms hit will dictate just how hot it gets on any given day.
“Where storms hold off until later in the day or evening, temperatures may surge into the 90s,” AccuWeather Senior Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg explained. “Where storms occur at the start of the day and linger to the midday hours, the locations affected may get a break from the heat that day.”
“A strong front could bring damaging winds and brief downpours ahead of the July Fourth holiday weekend from parts of the Great Lakes to the Northeast,” Merrill added.
Further south, another set of storm clusters will drift from east to west across Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Forecasters do not expect these systems to develop into tropical depressions or storms due to heavy land interference and strong wind shear.
Looking further ahead into July, the intense heat in the central states is projected to back off slightly, though temperatures will still hover a few degrees above historical averages. By mid-month, the core of the heat dome is forecast to migrate westward, settling over the Rockies, Cascades, Sierras, and the Great Basin.
“Building drought and dry thunderstorms over the interior West will boost the risk of wildfires,” Merrill said. “Smoke from the large fires may become a factor downwind from the Rockies to the Plains and perhaps the Midwest.”
Despite the dual risks of extreme heat and sudden severe storms, meteorologists note the pattern will deliver classic, bright summer conditions well-suited for outdoor holiday gatherings, barbecues, and swimming.
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