Posted on 07/21/2011 11:54:04 AM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Unless you live in the lucky part of the continental United States that will not be slammed by a heat wave this week, you've probably encountered what meteorologists are calling the "heat dome."
A claustrophobia-inducing greenhouse of heat and sadness, the "heat dome" is actually a 1 million square-mile high-pressure system hovering over most of the country and pushing temperatures sky-high. Nearly 150 million Americans in 32 states are in the dome, leading to at least 22 deaths around the country as of yesterday, according to CNN. In Oklahoma alone, state medical officials believe 12 people have died from the heat.
Christopher Vaccaro at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tells The Lookout that the United States is facing a unique convergence of heat-stoking forces. The high-pressure system compresses the air--meaning it drives the warm air closer to the ground while heating it up to uncomfortably high temperatures. That compressed, sinking air keeps clouds from forming, giving the sun--which is at its highest angle this time of the year--free rein to do its worst. "Warmer air is thicker than colder air so it's actually a literal dome," Vaccaro explains. The final sweaty blow is that ground winds have consistently been coming from the south, pushing humid tropical air all the way to Northern Midwest states such as Minnesota. The humidity makes the heat even more dangerous, Vaccaro says.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I like heat. It cooled down below 100 here in Texas for the first time in a while. Gonna go running here in a sec.
I’ll take it. Here in Michigan just happy not to be shoveling snow :p
God is turning up the heat!
LOL.
Man-made Global sadness!
We didn’t listen!
The day before the day after tomorrow. LOL
“Nearly 150 million Americans in 32 states are in the dome, leading to at least 22 deaths around the country as of yesterday, according to CNN. In Oklahoma alone, state medical officials believe 12 people have died from the heat.”
The heat alone does not “lead” to any deaths, as if they are inevitable just because it is hot.
Such deaths normally occur because individuals faced with high temperatures take actions they should not, or fail to take actions for themselves or others to either protect from, or compensate for, the effects of the high temperatures. Most such deaths are avoidable, in spite of the high heat.
we suffered through the same in the summers in rural nebraska
but we lacked a media that constantly whined about it.
Rolling my eyes over here. It's pretty dang hot (102° outside my office), but come on.
Heat Dome? New terms are so cool. Like Kinetic Military Action.
But.... wasn’t there an old term for this? Gosh, as I get older my memory seems to be failing, but wasn’t it... something like.... oh, I REMEMBER.
It was called SUMMER.
You mean it’s actually hot in summer? Who knew?
The heat is just reaching the east coast. Prepare for whining and the lamentations of their women.
Now you’ve been brought within the zone of control ~ so whine.
What’s with this term “Heat Dome”. I’ve been around for a long time...and my bro is/was a meterorologist.
LOL, isn’t that the truth. The MSM has UNEXPECTEDLY discovered summer is hot. Who knew....
LOL — I am spending the weekend in Dallas looking at condos and houses for my impending relocation.
I have been in the DFW in summer’s past — I might as well experience the worst it has to offer...
1 death per 5 million people.
Getting caught in an extreme heat wave is one of the safest things you can do these days.
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