‘Heat Dome’ Covers Southern US; These Cities Could See Record Highs
https://climate-crisis-247-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07221601/Average-forecast-temperature-May-22-to-May-24-2-150x150.pngThis week, select parts of the southern and central United States are in the grip of an intense heat dome. A pronounced ridge in the jet stream is allowing hot, stagnant air to settle over the Southwest, Southern Plains, and parts of the Southeast, ushering in high temperatures more typical of mid-summer than late May.
DOGE backlash? The Federal Departments Americans Want To Keep
Dying for air? Climate Activism Is Turning Deadly In These Cities
In Texas, cities like San Antonio are forecast to reach 101°F – potentially breaking daily records – while Phoenix faces highs of up to 106°F and sultry overnight lows in the mid-70s. Temperatures in dozens of cities are forecast to exceed historical normals by more than five degrees, while several major cities are forecast to see temperatures more than 20°F above normal. A closer look at the data reveals the U.S. cities where it will be abnormally hot this week.
To determine the cities where it will be abnormally warm this week, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed 72-hour temperature forecasts and historical station-level daily temperature readings from the NOAA. Cities were ranked based on the difference between the forecast minimum temperature for May 22-24, 2025, and the average observed minimum temperature for May 22-24 from 2006 to 2020. Gridded forecast data are from the National Digital Forecast Database, while historical temperature normals are from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily program of the National Centers for Environmental Information. Weather stations were matched to places using nearest neighbor analysis and were limited to cities within 50 miles of the city centroid. Only cities with at least 50,000 residents were considered.
25. Hemet, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 74.3°F (+6.7°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 67.6°F
- Total population: 89,651
24. Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 88.8°F (+6.8°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 82.0°F
- Total population: 57,294
23. San Diego, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 66.7°F (+6.9°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 59.8°F
- Total population: 1,383,987
22. Abilene, TX
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 82.0°F (+7.1°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 75.0°F
- Total population: 126,356
21. Aurora, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 64.4°F (+7.2°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 57.2°F
- Total population: 387,349
20. Grand Junction, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 71.9°F (+7.4°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 64.5°F
- Total population: 65,918
19. Buckeye, AZ
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 85.7°F (+7.5°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 78.1°F
- Total population: 95,042
18. El Paso, TX
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 81.3°F (+7.5°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 73.8°F
- Total population: 677,181
17. Highlands Ranch, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 65.0°F (+8.1°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 56.9°F
- Total population: 101,514
16. Palmdale, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 77.2°F (+8.1°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 69.1°F
- Total population: 166,895
15. Pasadena, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 75.2°F (+8.6°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 66.6°F
- Total population: 137,554
14. Los Angeles, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 74.2°F (+8.7°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 65.5°F
- Total population: 3,881,041
13. Merced, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 69.8°F (+9.2°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 60.6°F
- Total population: 87,686
12. Flagstaff, AZ
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 59.5°F (+9.3°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 50.2°F
- Total population: 76,177
11. Fort Collins, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 62.8°F (+9.9°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 52.9°F
- Total population: 168,758
10. Goodyear, AZ
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 87.6°F (+10.1°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 77.4°F
- Total population: 97,542
9. Chico, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 70.6°F (+14.0°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 56.6°F
- Total population: 102,790
8. Colorado Springs, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 61.1°F (+14.2°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 46.9°F
- Total population: 479,612
7. Scottsdale, AZ
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 83.4°F (+18.4°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 65.0°F
- Total population: 240,537
6. Clovis, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 72.7°F (+18.4°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 54.3°F
- Total population: 120,607
5. Arvada, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 63.7°F (+19.0°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 44.6°F
- Total population: 123,066
4. Medford, OR
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 60.5°F (+19.6°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 40.9°F
- Total population: 85,539
3. Yucaipa, CA
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 73.3°F (+20.1°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 53.2°F
- Total population: 54,428
2. Boulder, CO
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 64.1°F (+22.4°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 41.7°F
- Total population: 106,598
1. Sandy, UT
- Forecast average, May 22-24: 68.3°F (+23.2°F above climate normal)
- Normal May 22-24 average, 2006-2020: 45.1°F
- Total population: 95,635