Heat Wave Strikes Western US As Temps Approach 120 In Phoenix, Las Vegas

[Purveyor]

Last edited Sat Jun 29, 2013, 12:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Associated Press

PHOENIX — A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement.

The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. And tourists at California's Death Valley took photos of the harsh landscape and a thermometer that read 121.

The mercury there was expected to reach nearly 130 on Friday — just short of the 134-degree reading from a century ago that stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

"You have to take a picture of something like this. Otherwise no one will believe you," said Laura McAlpine, visiting Death Valley from Scotland.

The heat is not expected to break until Monday or Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.eastoregonian.com/news/nation_world/phoenix-las-vegas-bake-in-scorching-heat/article_f4a242ca-84eb-5f3e-b902-f4be7eddc519.html

[maindawg]

1. well those red states

will be just fine. They dont have a climate change problem out there. Nothing to see here folks.

[former9thward]

28. Again with the blue red snark.

You can't give it up. The only people who complain about the heat in Phoenix are people that don't live here -- like you. I was out yesterday when it was 116 doing errands and there were no problems. Everybody was out shopping and doing things like any other day. At night people were in restaurants and bars, like normal, and sitting outside in the bar's patios having a good time. Don't get too angry about that --- and please stay away in the winter when you are in some miserable blizzard. We don't want you.

[Trajan]

46. OK .... I will visit my cousin and her family while I am there ...

But I promise to NOT spend any money ... ok ?

[KamaAina]

67. Death Valley is in California

[abq e streeter]

2. Only 105 in Albuquerque yesterday, but luckily I had a sweater with me.

Seriously, all you folks in Arizona and Nevada and the Cal. desert, be safe, although people there do generally know how to deal with heat like this.Rare but far from unheard of.

[Voice for Peace]

7. ++ another here, didn't realize it went that high

but it was so hot I couldn't move. The only
thing that brought relief was thinking about
Arizona.

[xxqqqzme]

3. Scotand to Death Valley

That is one huge climate leap.

[lunasun]

4. do you just stay inside like a big snow storm??

with a/c on to cool, instead of a fire going for warmth?

Doesnt sound like something to be walking around in
Hope every living thing stays cool or in the shade
or underground maybe........

[thelordofhell]

5. Stay hydrated and shaded

Much better than.....say being outside when it's 20 below.............

[Thor_MN]

23. When it's 20 below, I can put more clothes ON.

I grew up on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Temps in the 90's are hot to me. 130? I can't get less than naked...

[thelordofhell]

35. It's never been 130 here.....and you can't shovel sun

Oh, and I've never spent a half hour scraping sun off my windshield so I can drive......and I'll take the very rare sunburn over frostbite.......and the lowest temperature I've ever experienced is 22 degrees.........

But to each their own

[Thor_MN]

39. That's why they invented garages...

Heating is cheaper than cooling - you can't buy clothes to keep you cool at Target. I have experienced straight 20 below (not wind chill), many times, and it never stopped me from doing anything. Hottest I've seen was about 101, twice, years apart. Couldn't do a damn thing outside.

Like you said, to each their own, I prefer to be able to be outside when I want, not have to hide indoors with AC running just to stay alive.

[thelordofhell]

42. And you're missing out on SEXY POOL PARTY!!

[Thor_MN]

43. Hmm, Get away from me, it's too hot or Can I borrow your body heat? Hmmmm...

Tough decision.... I may have to think about that for a bit.

[jakeXT]

56. "Tonight I'm gonna poop in your shoes"

lol

[thelordofhell]

57. She's also dating a French model...........

[lunasun]

47. always needed a sweater in summer at night when visiting Two Harbors sometimes in the day too!

but that lovely cool lake .........worth the chill

[Thor_MN]

49. Water temp is still 35 degrees.

I was up there last weekend. It was actually hot Monday and Tuesday, but Sunday was about 55 degrees.

I went to high school in Two Harbors. Breeze off the lake and the air temp comes down 15-20 degrees.

[lunasun]

51. Two Harbors to Grand Portage = Beautiful places and I'm missing the good lake fish

too as I think about it now....
Hope it remains quite the same as I remember but everything changes with time I know.
Hope the lake is still cool and clean at least

[Thor_MN]

53. Seagulls are molting and tons of pollen on the surface.

Last Monday and Tuesday were very calm and foggy. It was almost surreal, slowly moving through the fog, bits of feather and pollen drifting past the boat. We have both GPS and radar on the boat, I would not have attempted fishing if we did not. Approaching the Marina on Tuesday was totally blind in the fog, but the combination of GPS and radar put me square into the entrance with only mild anxiety... The water coming out of Knife River colored the water near the mouth, but very clear away from the mouth. Many flies hatching out with the warmth.

The wind and waves later in the week should have taken care of the surface clutter by the time I head back up next week, hopefully we can find some fish this time.

[Marrah_G]

48. I get so sick when the heat gets near 90

I don't know how you guys do it.

[WestStar]

8. Not really, you don't need to shovel the sunshine

Most people just go about their day. Get to work, go shopping, play a little golf or run and bike early in the morning.

The way the media makes it sound you would think nothing is moving. Freeways are just as busy, buses and the light rail is running and the airport is open for business.

[lunasun]

17. even this article talks of airlines grounded and pets burning on the pavement

that is why I asked ..do you bar the door and stay in?....paints the picture of whole area being in hell's fire . Glad it is more of media hype than real harm to the area

[sweetloukillbot]

50. When it gets over 110 it gets uncomfortable to be outside for an extended period of time

But when I was walking to my car from my air conditioned office this afternoon, when it was 120,it was like climbing into bed with a blanket fresh out of the dryer- really comfortable for about 2 minutes. The car was hot for a few minutes, but I use a window shade and park facing east so I don't have the sun beating down on my steering wheel during the hottest part of the day. Two minutes of AC and the car is fine. I run errands and do yard work when the sun is going down and it's not too unpleasant. But mostly I stay inside in the AC. I prefer a nice rainstorm and I like the cold, but I don't like everything else you have to deal with - the stickiness, the closed roads, the black ice, the shoveling. I spent 6 months in Iowa a few years ago and it got down to -30 the first week I was there. My dogs refused to go outside. Even when its over 100 they love to go outside - I give them lots of water and they play in the shade. And our heating bill in Iowa - with it never turned above 60 - was over $500, my electric bill this month was $275 and my gas bill was $25- and in the winter my electric bill is around $50 while my gas bill is around $100.
I do miss the slightly cooler summers of my childhood - and I especially miss the almost nightly monsoons - but I do love living in the desert.
That being said, my AC went out a week ago and it got up well over 100 in the house and that was unbearable. Even staying hydrated with fans running full time I did get mild heat exhaustion. And the dogs were pretty listless (but okay - I kept them hydrated too and fed them ice). Heat is only okay when you can get out of it.

[quakerboy]

14. And when you have to go places

Make sure your car is properly tuned and maintained, or it may catch fire if you try to go uphill.

Seriously, this is an area where people turn the heat on and break out sweaters when the temps drop to 80. And cars catch fire and burn to the ground, apparently on a regular basis.

[former9thward]

29. No, see post 28 above.

[shanti]

40. In a word, yes

I'm in Sacramento, famous for "but it's a dry heat". We're expecting 109 today. At that temp, I get physically sick, it's happened several times, but at 57, I just stay inside anytime it's over 100. Thank god for ac. I can't imagine how people lived here in summer in the bad old days!

[thelordofhell]

6. And next weekend, we'll have rain

It's a typical freaky AZ Summer

[sweetloukillbot]

9. I honestly don't know why every one is making a big deal about it...

It gets this hot for a couple days every year for the past 10 years or so. 20+ years ago when it hit 122 it was a fluke, now its an annual occurance. Yet every year there are all these "OMG hot!" stories in the national news and everyone is on facebook taking pictures of their weather app. It sucks, and its a combination of climate change and a giant fucking asphalt parking lot in the middle of the desert.

[thelordofhell]

10. I've lived here my whole life (40+ years), and have had no troubles

I always think it's hilarious hearing people whine about "the heat".........If they don't like the heat, then move.........especially if they're a right wing nutjob.............

[sweetloukillbot]

15. I don't know if I've ever been more annoyed at Facebook

Everyone is taking a damn picture of their car's thermomemeter, posting a pic of their phone's temperature, or some sort of "EHRMAHGERD!" post about how hot it is. At least now all my gay friends are posting about their plans to head out to California ASAP.

[thelordofhell]

22. I remember the good old days

When people just tried to fry eggs on the sidewalk

[sweetloukillbot]

31. NOw it's baking cookies on the dashboard n/t

[shanti]

41. Monsoon season, eh?

My mom lives in Cottonwood.

[AverageJoe90]

11. Concerning to be sure, but I don't see what the big deal is, either.

This honestly isn't all that unusual for the Desert Southwest.....though I hope you guys down there stay safe anyhow, regardless.

[olddad56]

27. High today of 128 in Death Valley, Ca. seems a little unusual to me.

[AverageJoe90]

38. Maybe just a little.....but not really at all unheard of, either. n/t

[CreekDog]

59. You're like the Boy Who Didn't Cry Wolf

[AverageJoe90]

60. And apparently, you're just like the Stalker Who Wouldn't Quit. n/t

[Nevernose]

61. There have been deaths and 75+ ER visits

In Las Vegas alone. 117, which we hit on Saturday and Sunday, is the all-time record, hit only twice before. The thermometers at my house, both in the shade, both hit 123 this weekend.

When the coldest it gets overnight is 100 degrees, well, it's really frigging hot. Especially for June!

[AverageJoe90]

63. Yeah, that IS unfortunate, TBH, I won't argue with that.

But to be honest, it isn't like this hasn't happened before; if you were around there in 1990 you may remember a similar heat wave that happened then, too.

[Nevernose]

64. I was here then

At this point all the summers just kind of blend together. I'm not quite a native, but close enough. I'm fine until its over 105; after that I just get kind of worn down. And the heat lately is exceptionally bad for June. Usually, early mornings in June in the Mojave are my favorite time of year. The temperature, the light, the mourning doves, the clean, dry air...people who think the desert is barren or ugly obviously haven't stayed out all night stargazing in the crystal clear skies, followed by a dawn hike through the Joshua trees and a nice sit-down under the pinion pines.

And i cant wait to leave it all behind! When my kid graduates high school and my wife finishes law school, I'm seriously looking at moving to Maine. I want four seasons, dammit, not two!

[Ash_F]

12. Darn, we were having a mild summer. /nt

[joesdaughter]

13. 6:45 pm 110 degrees in Las Vegas

I'd rather start a car at 110 than 40 below (even with a headbolt heater).

But this weather is tough on the homeless- and those with swamp coolers. When the A/C goes out many families cannot afford the big repair bill. And the power bills can be very onerous.

[Mosby]

44. evaps work great this time of year

Its when the humidity goes up during the monsoon season that they stop working.

[Lugal Zaggesi]

16. Huh - I would have expected more "Record High" temperatures recently

Las Vegas, Nevada Record Highs are here - with the year the Record High temperature occurred in parentheses:

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USNV0049
The records for June 12 to June 19 is still 1940 ???


Similarly, Phoenix Arizona Record Highs are here:

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USAZ0166
The record for June 13 is 1936 ?
The record for June 24 is 1929 ??
The record for June 11 is 1918 ???
The record for June 17 is 1896 ?????

[Adsos Letter]

18. A balmy 105* at the house today, out by Fairfield, CA.

94* at 8:52 pm


Supposed to hit 110* out in the valley this weekend.

[olddad56]

26. you should have driven a hour to Sacramento yesterday to cool off. It was only 104 here.

[Adsos Letter]

32. It's supposed to get hotter for you the next few days.

we appear to have a very slight breeze this morning, which might help...or not.

[olddad56]

37. Suppose to be 108 today, but it is only a chilly 93 at 10:40am so I don't know if we'll reach 108.

Already feels way warmer than 93.

[TM99]

19. For many it is a very big deal.

Jesus, the empathy on these forums some days.

For many elderly and those with chronic medical conditions, this type of heat wave is debilitating and deadly. For the remainder of the weekend, no I can't go out in this heat. Plus, I and others on fixed incomes or in bad financial situations have the added problems of excessive electric bills.

My A/C is from the 1980's. I rent and my Tea Party landlady isn't going to upgrade it unless it fully breaks. Every summer, it needs repairs. When it is 115º, my A/C runs constantly just to keep the indoor temperature below 80º. Late night, I have to turn it off for hours so that it won't freeze up.

According to the most accurate weather reports, it will not be dropping below 110º consistently daily for a few weeks. This is a big change for those of us who have lived here for a long while (me over 25 years).

And for those who say, just move, again, I am saddened by the lack of empathy. It will be some time for me before I am physically and financially capable of just picking up a moving to some place cooler. I am not the only one in this situation.

But hey, for all of y'all who are loving the heat, playing golf, and basking in your affordable constant climate control, y'all have a pleasant weekend.

[Paulie]

33. Yep. In Chicago during 1995 it was horrible

1995 Chicago heat wave
The 1995 Chicago heat wave was a heat wave which led to approximately 750 heat-related deaths in Chicago over a period of five days.[1] Most of the victims of the heatwave were elderly poor residents of the inner city, who could not afford air conditioning and did not open windows or sleep outside for fear of crime.[2]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave

There were rented freezer trucks to hold the bodies of victims.

[Peace Patriot]

36. Thanks for saying this, TM99. Extreme heat may be fine for the healthy, the fit, the well-off...

...but it can kill others--the elderly, the ill, infants/toddlers, the poor in general--those without options, with no or poorly functioning A/C, with no money to go to a cool spot, those with old, cheap cars with no A/C, or those who get stuck in a bad spot by circumstances, people in institutions--nursing homes, prisons--and also animals of various kinds.

It is ridiculous to get defensive about climates, extremely cold or extremely hot, or liable to hurricanes/ tornados, as opposed to, say, earthquakes/tsunamis. In these days of global warming and extreme environmental change--including vast loss of biodiversity and vast environmental damage of various kinds--we are ALL in trouble, and need to think globally. We also, as you say, need to foster compassion within ourselves and within government, as to policy. Are we going to be a humane human community or not? Are we going to be warring nations, greedy for the last resources of earth, killing each other for oil or water--or collective problem-solvers with goals worthy of our big, creative brains?

We are up against it, for sure, as a world. It is not a time for jokes or silly controversies. What does it matter if it's a homeless person, or elderly person, who freezes to death in a city or an "illegal alien" or stranded poor family who is burnt to death in the desert, or a polar bear without a habitat, or disoriented, dead bees?

We need to care about these things whether or own situation is comfortable for the moment, or not. And if we don't, we will simply vanish--our own species and our world will cease to be. We are called upon to CARE. Are we up to it?

[lunasun]

54. I was also thinking about people required to work outside all day but maybe they get a break

or do less during the high heat part of the day although some must carry on I assume regardless......please keep cool!
Our weather has changed too & many parts of the country are not on par I guess.
Cheap landlords never change though...................

[haele]

58. People required to work outside don't get breaks for heat -

Or if they do take breaks, they don't get paid for them.

When the morning started out in the mid-70's at 7am on Saturday, we set out a big plastic kiddy wading pool, a couple plastic chairs, beach umbrellas and one of those plastic children's playmodules with a slide in our front yard for the grandbaby (and to water the front lawn afterwards when we dumped the pool...) and opened it to the neighborhood kids so we ended up with the first impropmtu block party of the summer. (We'll probably end up hosting several in the future.)
Most of the houses in our neighborhood were built in the mid '50's and are owned by the original buyers or their kids - and don't have AC, but depend on the air-flow coming off the ocean to cool the houses (which usually works very well).
This has always been a working-class neighborhood where most of the residents were in construction or were mechanics, so the topic of conversation was "how to stay cool if it was going to be this bad all next week when you're out framing or roofing", where to get the cheapest ice for coolers, and which of the cheaper Urgent Cares had still the best doctors to send people to for treatment of heat issues that will also write up Worker's Comp paperwork properly to cover working time lost due to the heat.

People who work in high-risk jobs that don't pay very much track clinics and doctors as a matter of survival.

Laz has one of those new "snap to chill towels" that had been advertised lately that was much admired and demonstrated; next day, both the local True Value, Lowes and Home Depot apparently ran out of them. One of our neighbors as already asked if he could buy it off us.

Haele

[ChazII]

65. Start work at 6 am and

get off around 1 or 2 in the afternoon for some workers.

[haele]

66. That's good if your employer/manager agrees to that.

Too many a-hole construction site managers wander in around 7/8pm, spend their work-day in the air-conditioned trailer and pitch a bee-otch if their workers want to start earlier and get off before happy hour starts.

Haele

[Sunlei]

20. 93 at 2am, climate change has to suck in the new deserts of the usa. watch out high wind days, dust.

dust storms as the sand blows away. Then the flood season, the red mud season. Can understand why Las Vegas declines and real estate is so depressed in those areas.

Can almost use real estate prices as an indicator of the areas in North America where climate change effects will be harshist.

[DFW]

21. I wish you could bottle that stuff and send some our way

It hasn't gone over 60° (F) here all week, and the rain hasn't stopped for more than a couple of hours the whole time.

[mainer]

24. Meanwhile it's another cool, rainy day here in Maine

Our rainfall for June is about to hit a record.

[NutmegYankee]

25. Yeah, Conn. has logged the second wettest June on record.

[smirkymonkey]

34. I live in Boston, but have been recovering from surgery in southern coastal Maine

since the beginning of June and it has been the worst June that I can remember, constant rain, humidity, just gloomy and depressing. Boston has been pretty much the same.

It has to get better, doesn't it ? I am going stir crazy.

[PasadenaTrudy]

30. I can't handle the heat

for some reason. I'm almost 50 and have lived in L.A. area my entire life. If it gets higher than 90 or so, I feel lightheaded and weak. Right now it's almost 9 a.m., I'm sitting under the a/c vent eating cold yogurt and drinking ice water. I become a recluse during the summer. It sucks I am very fair-skinned with blue eyes, if that has anything to do with it....

[Mosby]

45. 1 pm its 117 in bullhead city az

High is supposed to hit 122.

115 in phx right now.

[Sgent]

52. AC, hydration, and building design is key

one problem is AC building design vs. no AC are diametrically opposed and if the AC goes out....

Buildings designed for AC have lots of insulation, weatherproofing, generally small, often fixed windows, etc.

Older buildings built before AC was common in these areas tend to be lighter colored, breathe much better, open floor plans with large windows and porches, etc.

At least in New Orleans the real problem is when you lose electricity, or if people aren't keeping properly hydrated. When the weather is truley hot (100+ with 90% humidity), and I spend time outside, I almost never stop drinking water.

[Duckwraps]

55. Yes it is really bad here,

particularly for the thousands of folks in this area (the southwest) without electricity.

[Nevernose]

62. Our power went out last night; stayed in a hotel

Our power went out last night. We waited for a while, but it was 108 degrees inside. I suggested we go to the movies, but my wife found a very nice off-Strip hotel for only $36 after tax, which is only a few dollars more than what the movies would cost. We're teaching summer school so can't really stay up late on week nights.