It’s gonna be a summer
Next week I head north to Chicago for Netroots Nation. Hopes for cooler, tamer weather to the north are just that.
Torrential rains flooded Chicago’s streets and forced NASCAR officials to postpone a race through the city, as the National Weather Service issued hazardous weather alerts for over 110 million Americans during the extended July Fourth holiday weekend.
State of play: Chicago train services were suspended, buses were temporarily rerouted and Illinois State Police said parts of Interstate highways 55 and 290 were shut due to flooding, per WLS-TV.
The National Weather Service (a branch of the Commerce Department that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promises to eliminate as president) reports:
Meanwhile, the heat wave across the South will be less oppressive today, before confining southward even more on Independence Day. Nevertheless, heat indices could approach 105-110 degrees with high temperatures into the mid-90s, which can be dangerous if spending an extended amount of time outdoors. Additionally, heat will be the main story throughout the Desert Southwest and West Coast today and Tuesday. Highs well into the triple digits are forecast throughout the Central Valley region of California and Desert Southwest. A few daily high temperature records could be challenged today, before the record-breaking heat potential shifts up the West Coast into northern California and western Oregon. Here, highs are forecast to reach into the 90s and low 100s on Tuesday.
So far, no smoke here, but….
By the numbers: More than 18 million people were under excessive heat warnings on Sunday night, as dangerously hot weather continued for parts of the Southeast, Gulf Coast, Southwest and interior sections of California northward into Oregon.
- It’s particularly hot in Sacramento, which the NWS noted Sunday had tied the record high for July 2 of 109 degrees Fahrenheit that had stood since 1991.
- Record daily temperature highs for July 2 were set across Northern California — including in Redding (116°F), Red Bluff (114°F), Stockton (110°F) and Modesto (108°F), according to the weather service.
Be careful out there.