The US is looking at a year of chaotic weather
Despite being declaredthe third-hottest year on record, 2025 was a relatively quiet year forclimatedisasters in the US. No major hurricanes made landfall, while the totalnumber of acresburned in wildfires last year-a way of measuring the intensity ofwildfire season-fell below the 10-year average.
But starting this week, the West is experiencing what looks to be a record-breaking heat wave, while forecasting models predict that a strong El Nino event is likely to emerge later this year. These two unrelated phenomena could set the stage for a long stretch of unpredictable and extreme weather reaching into next year, compounding the effects of a climate that's getting hotter and hotter thanks to human activity.
First, there's the heat. Beginning this week and heading into next, a massive ridge of high-pressure air will bring record-breaking temperatures to the American West. The National Weather Servicepredictsthat temperature records across multiple states are set to be broken in dozens of locations, stretching as far east as Missouri and Tennessee. The NWS has issued heat warnings for parts of California, Arizona, and Nevada, as well as fire warnings for parts of Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Colorado.