Will it start to feel like fall soon? Or is September the new August when it comes to heat?

After a summer of record-setting temperatures across the United States, even more extreme heat is expected in the Triangle this week as a heat dome sprawls over most of the country.

But could this be the last heat wave of the year? Or are there more scorching days ahead?

When will cooler weather arrive in the Triangle?

Although some stores have already started rolling out pumpkin spice everything, fall weather could still be weeks away.

“In a warmer world, you tend to extend out the summer season,” said meteorologist Nick Luchetti with the National Weather Service.

Over the past several decades, heat waves in the U.S. have become more frequent, more intense and last longer. In the 1960s, most major. U.S. cities averaged two heat waves per year. Now, there are an average of six heat waves per year in major cities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

This summer, several multi-day heat waves have hit the Triangle, often sending heat indexes soaring.

The EPA lists increased heat waves as a significant indicator of climate change.

All of these factors have caused heat wave season to extend into traditionally cooler months.

However, ABC11’s Don Schwenneker told The News & Observer that this summer has not been filled with statistically high heat. On average, he said, Raleigh has three days every summer that top 100 degrees. This year, he said that has only happened once so far.

“We’ve had a pretty average summer,” Schwenneker said.

The National Weather Service agrees and predicts that temperatures in the Triangle will drop below the 90s by early next week.

Monday is expected to have a high of 86 degrees, and temperatures are predicted to continue cooling throughout the week. Thursday is expected to be the coolest day of the week with a high of 78 degrees.

Schwenneker and Luchetti said locals can expect more days like next Thursday in the coming weeks.

“Generally, once you get past mid-September, you see a drop in daytime highs,” Luchetti said.

However, this is no guarantee that the heat is gone for the remainder of the year. Peak fall weather, according to Schwenneker, is still several weeks away.

“We typically don’t see our fall weather until mid-to late October, when we get crisp, cooler evenings, and the leaves change colors,” he said.

What is a heat dome?

Heat domes occur when strong, high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with oceanic winds creating vast areas of sweltering heat that gets trapped under the high-pressure “dome.”

This can lead to high temperatures for several days across a large section of the country. This week’s heat dome stretches from Montana to central Texas, leading a third of Americans to be under heat advisories.

On Friday, the National Weather Service expects temperatures in Raleigh and Durham to reach up at 97 degrees. Heat index values are predicted to hit between 100 and 105 degrees Friday afternoon and Saturday. Some high schools in the area have pushed back the start times of Friday night football games due to the heat.

Scattered strong to severe storms are also possible Friday afternoon and early evening. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary threat, similarly to last week’s storm that knocked out power for thousands of people.

How to stay safe in extreme heat

Here’s how to stay safe in extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Air conditioning is the number one way to protect yourself against heat-related illness and death, according to the CDC.
• If your home is not air-conditioned, reduce your risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned and using air conditioning in vehicles. In Wake County, multiple cooling stations will be available.
• Do not rely on a fan as a primary cooling device
• Stay hydrated. Drink more water than usual
• Check on friends and neighbors
• Limit the use of the stove, oven and other appliances that will make a home hotter
• Never leave children or pets in cars.
• Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when the sun is hottest
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
• Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
• Monitor friends’ and loved ones’ conditions and have someone do the same for you.
• Seek medical care right away if you or someone you know has symptoms of heat-related illness.

Be on the lookout for heat-related illness.

“Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use all can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather,” the CDC says.

Those 65 and older, children younger than two, and people with chronic disease or mental illness are often most susceptible to heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

WARNING SIGNS FOR HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS

• High body temperature (103°F or higher)
• Hot, red, dry or damp skin
• Fast, strong pulse
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Losing consciousness (passing out)
• Heavy sweating
• Cold, pale, and clammy skin
• Fast, weak pulse
• Vomiting
• Muscle cramps

This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Will it start to feel like fall soon? Or is September the new August when it comes to heat?."