A sprawling heat dome is projected to build over the eastern United States by the middle of next week, and temperatures in the DC area could turn brutal.
The National Weather Service has placed the DC area in a high-risk zone for extreme heat, as Capital Weather's Dan Stillman wrote Wednesday. The days most likely to be excessively hot are July 1–3, when a blend of models projects highs of 98, 101, and 101 degrees. Factor in humidity, and it could feel 5 to 10 degrees hotter.
Models sometimes overdo heat in longer-range forecasts, but they are in reasonably strong agreement that highs should reach at least the mid- to upper 90s. An added factor: the ground is unusually dry from weeks of little rain, which causes it to heat up faster — making highs near and above 100 a real possibility.
There are some signs the heat may ease around July 4 as the dome drifts westward, but that's far from certain, and models disagree on how much — if any — cooling occurs.
