The upcoming heatwave looks likely to set countless records and even all-time records at that. This explosive ridge with tremendous heat underneath has been watched and forecasted here for a solid 10 days now and throughout that period, the forecasted numbers keep going up and up and up.

I often refer back to 2005 for the Las Vegas as that heatwave was the last one to tie the all-time record of 117. That July produced 9 straight days of 110+, 4 straight days of 115+ and 3 straight days of 116+ with a peak of 117 on the 19th.

As well as a three day stretch of 116+, nights were sizzling with 5 straight nights staying above 90. On the morning of the 17th, a low of 93 was set, this became the city’s new all-time warmest night. Just 2 morning’s later the low fell to just 95, setting a new ‘warmest night on record’.

This heatwave looks very much on comparison to 2005 with highs likely to approach 117 this Saturday and Sunday. I expect 4 to 6 straight nights of 90+.

While Las Vegas will be hot, it’s going to be even hotter outwith. To the west, Palm Springs, CA should top 120 while Laughlin to the south along the Colorado river should push 125 along with Baker, CA. Phoenix may approach 120.

Check out these forecasted highs for the upcoming weekend via weather.com.

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Here’s Sunday’s forecasted highs and notice this presents yet another shot at the all-time record. I guess there is a chance that Las Vegas may even scrape a high of 118 which would of course set a new all-time record. The all-time warmest overnight low of 95 could be tied with this heat.

While many low desert communities push the mid 120s this weekend, there’s no comparing to the king of HOT, Death Valley, CA! It’s topped 129 twice in the past 8 years here in this north-south oriented valley with a depth of 282ft BELOW sea level and sheltered by peaks soaring above 11,000ft. It’s no coincidence that this place is hotter than anywhere else.

Very powerful upper level ridges allowed readings to top 129 which was achieved in both July of 2005 and again in 2007. However it has not reached 130 since 1913, just 3 days AFTER a new GLOBAL all-time record was set at Greenland Ranch, within DV NP. This weekend’s, near 600dc ridge, +32C 850mb temperatures, wind and local ‘sinking and compressional warming’ effects all look supportive for pushing the thermometer to the magic 130 mark over the weekend. This would be ironic, occurring just 9 or 10 days before the 100 year anniversary of the 134 degree recording at Greenland Ranch back on July 10, 1913.

Here’s the ECMWF 500mb chart for this weekend.

Saturday.

Sunday

The searing heat of this weekend isn’t just confined to the Desert Southwest as 100s will be achieved all the way north to Boise. Salt Lake City may push 104, perhaps 105.

Further east and temperatures will bake in Texas with Houston likely to see two, perhaps 3 days between 100-103. Up in Dallas, we could see a few century mark days with a peak of 105.

Here’s the weather.com forecasted highs for Saturday.

Here are a bunch of records which bare watching this weekend.

While the main focus is on the California to Texas heatwave, the cool conditions this weekend and into early next week will also be noticeable with highs stuck in the 70s over the Midwest. The East Coast looks set to see a ton of heavy, flooding rains as a deep tropical moisture plume flows north up the coast.

Check out the ECMWF total precip for the next 168 hours.

Here’s the latest QPF for the next 7 days. This is another significant weather item as well as the heat as rainfall records and significant flooding from Florida and Georgia all the way to Maine is very likely with this setup.

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Tags: Las Vegas weather, Southwest Heat, Southwest Heatwave June 2013, US Heatwave 2013, Western Heatwwave