More cities hit by record highs as heatwave persists

Numerous cities across the United States are seeing record-breaking temperatures as a heatwave moves across the country, with another round of 100-plus-degree days expected later this week.

Cities in at least eight states hit record highs in the past week, and the National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting more extreme heat for the Pacific Northwest this weekend.

The Environmental Protection Agency has pointed to the intensity of heatwaves as a sign of climate change. And, as the heat blisters on, wildfires are igniting across Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

Cities in these eight states all experienced record highs in the past week.

Arizona

“[E]very square inch” of Arizona likely experienced record temperatures over the course of the past historic week, the NWS of Flagstaff said on Twitter. Phoenix hit 118 degrees on June 17, breaking the previous record of 114 degrees from 2015.

California

California’s Death Valley surged to 128 degrees last week, shattering the previous daily record of 122 degrees set in 1917. The state capital of Sacramento climbed to 110 degrees on June 18, exceeding its previous daily record by 4 degrees. In Palm Springs, the city recorded its hottest day in June ever, hitting 123 degrees on June 17, according to the Desert Sun.

Colorado

Denver recorded its hottest ever June 15 on record when the temperature reached 101 degrees, breaking the previous record of 97 degrees from 1952 and 1993, according to the NWS.

Montana

Three cities set daily records — Billings, Livingston and Miles City — on June 15. Miles City hit 109 degrees, shattering a previous record of 97 degrees set in 1919.

Nebraska

Omaha set a daily record on June 17 when temperatures climbed to 105 degrees, shattering the previous record of 100 degrees from 1918. The state capital of Lincoln also hit a record that day, at 103 degrees, breaking a record of 101 degrees set in 1918, according to the NWS.

Nevada

Las Vegas reached 114 degrees on June 17, breaking a record of 113 degrees from 1940. Nevada’s Death Valley reached 128 degrees on June 17, surpassing the previous record from 1917 by 6 degrees, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Utah

Salt Lake City set a new record for the month of June when the temperatures climbed to 107 degrees on June 15, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. That came amid nine straight days of record-breaking heat, from June 12-20. Southern Utah is also dealing with historic temperatures, as St. George reached 111 degrees on June 17, beating the record from 1985.

Wyoming

Several cities in Wyoming set records last week. Cheyenne saw a record high of 95 degrees on June 17, exceeding the 94 degree record from 1940. Rawlins hit 94 degrees and Laramie hit 91 degrees, both surpassing previous records of 87 degrees in 2012.