Meteorologists call it a “heat dome.” It sounds like a superpower, and in a way, it is—the villain kind. A stubborn high-pressure system parks over your city, trapping hot air like a lid on a pot of soup.
These systems are sticky. They linger for days, sometimes weeks, refusing to budge until a cold front or a tropical disturbance finally muscles them out. The good news? They always break. The average heat wave in North America lasts about four to seven days. If you’re reading this on day five, help is statistically on the way.
