Record Highs Chased Back to the West This Week

As the lower 48 continues to play literal hot potato, millions are sweating it out for the middle and end of August. Now that many around the country are going back to school, it's an added layer of complication keeping those in the heat safe.

For now, the heat has been bottled up in the southern and central plains states, with places like Shreveport expecting a heat index of 110-115! Heat Advisories cover over 40 million people to end the weekend, with some extending into Monday. And then our heat dome moves (above). It will start to slide west as the week moves on, bringing the worst of the heat with it.

Some areas like the northwest will start to heat up quickly, and by Wednesday, be threatening record high temperatures for the afternoon. And this might be the norm for the rest of the month. The Climate Prediction Center has circled a good majority of the western half of the U.S. for some above normal temperatures.