DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — A strong high-pressure system settling over the region Friday and through the weekend will bring extreme temperatures to the already blazing Southwest.
Notoriously hot Death Valley in California is forecast to reach 129 degrees, not far off the world-record high of 134 logged there exactly one century ago.
Death Valley is dotted with locations such as Furnace Creek and Dante’s View, and officials are urging people to exercise extreme caution during the heat wave.
Scientists say that the jet stream, the river of air that dictates weather patterns, has been more erratic in the past few years. It’s responsible for weather systems getting stuck, like the current heat wave. Scientists disagree on whether global warming is the cause of the jet stream’s behavior.
