The 2021 Western North America heat wave was an extreme heat wave that affected much of Western North America from late June through early July 2021. The heat wave affected Northern California, Idaho,
Air temperature anomalies across North America on June 27, 2021, compared to 2014–2020 baseline
Formation of a heat wave via a heat dome. In this scenario, the high-pressure area forces the air downwards, heating the air column, but even as the air becomes increasingly lighter and hotter due to the sun's energy, it cannot escape the dome because of the high pressure. This situation has been compared to pressure cooking.
Emergency repairs to a heat-damaged section of Interstate 5 in Shoreline, Washington
Wildfire burning near Mount Shasta, California, on June 28, 2021
Climate change has led to the United States warming up by 2.6 °F since 1970. In 2023, the global average near-surface temperature reached 1.45 °C above pre-industrial levels, making it the warmest yea
Annual temperatures averaged across the U.S. have exceeded the 1971–2000 average almost every year in the 21st century.
Hotter temperatures and drier weather due to climate change has been linked to wildfires, such as those in California in 2020.
A dry lakebed in California in its worst megadrought in 1,200 years, intensified by climate change, causing water rationing in the state.
Western United States