Southwest Heat, Northern Air Quality Concerns – National Weather Outlook For July 14, 2023

by | Jul 14, 2023 | Weather

National Weather Forecast

The heat bubble continues to impact the Southwest and Southern Plains, with highs in the 100s – even 110s in the desert Southwest. As we head through the next few days, some of this heat could approach all-time records for some locations in the Southwest. Meanwhile, we’ll watch at least scattered storm activity from the Rockies eastward. Strong storms are possible, particularly in the southern and central Plains.

Forecast smoke near the surface from 7 PM Thursday to 7 AM Saturday.

Air quality could be a concern through the end of the week across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest as another batch of Canadian wildfire smoke works south of the border due to a cold front passing through the region.

The heaviest rain through the first half of the weekend is expected to be in parts of the Southeast and New England, where at least another additional 3” of rain could fall. Flooding could be a concern, especially in parts of the Northeast that were walloped by rain earlier in the week.

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Is Minnesota Forever Doomed to Smoky Summer Skies?

More from Racket: “This summer, though, we have a new entrant in the pantheon of phenomena for Minnesotans to gripe about. The state has endured a record 23 air quality alerts this year, many of them stemming from wildfire smoke. On June 14, St. Paul earned the unenviable distinction of having the worst air quality in the U.S. David Brown, a spokesman with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, said that day’s air was the worst his agency has recorded since it started monitoring metro levels two decades ago. The recurrent sight of skylines being obscured by thick, smoky air has many wondering: Is this the new normal? Are we going to live the rest of our lives checking the summertime Air Quality Index like we check the temperature? And what does this have to do with the defining crisis of our age, climate change? We decided to talk to some smart people and find out. While there’s some cause for hope, the future looks about as bleak as our smog-choked metro did last month.”

Limited regulations make Texas workers responsible for preventing on-the-job heat injuries

More from the Texas Tribune: “Álvarez worried about his health again when a heat wave this year pushed Texas temperatures into triple digits. The heat has eased for now, but temperatures are forecast to climb again in the coming days. This puts construction workers like Álvarez at risk, as well as others in sectors like agriculture, mail delivery, manufacturing, food preparation and landscaping. There are no federal or state standards that specifically protect workers from heat illness, and Texas cities and counties will soon be barred from making local rules with that purpose. Now more than ever, like Álvarez’s case shows, heat safety depends on workers being trained in self-care, supervisors learning to identify symptoms of heat stress and employers’ willingness to provide breaks and other protective measures. Heat kills more people annually in the U.S. than hurricanes, tornadoes or flooding. Texas has recorded 42 heat-related deaths on the job since 2011 — more than any other state, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.”

As climate change looms, New York bets big on winter sports tourism

More from Lakeshore Public Media: “But New York’s bet on winter sports and tourism faces another big risk — climate change. Upstate New York’s winters are already eroding and Olympic authority officials acknowledge they don’t know how warmer seasons will affect operations. “It’s a question I can’t answer fully,” said authority board president Joe Martens. “I just don’t know the answer. All the metrics in climate are going in the wrong direction at this point.” The organization already had a taste of what a warmer future might look like. In 2016, Lake Placid received roughly half as much snow as typical. Week after week, rain fell instead of snow. The organization’s revenue from ski mountains and tourist venues plummeted.”

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– D.J. Kayser