August 3, 2026
Heat Wave Update | August 3, 2026 | 2 min read
The Southwest isn't getting just one round of extreme heat this summer, it's getting two. A powerful ridge parked itself over the region in late July, eased up briefly, and is now swinging back for a second act this week. Here's the setup, and how to keep your home ahead of it.
Meteorologists are watching a rare double-peaked ridge take shape over California and the Southwest. Round one crested over the weekend of July 25-26. After a short break, a second surge is rolling in this week, and forecasters expect the hotter-than-normal pattern to linger well beyond it.
Strangely, yes. Hurricane Genevieve spun up fast over unusually warm water in the eastern tropical Pacific. As it weakens on its track over cooler seas, the storm is venting huge amounts of latent heat into the upper atmosphere, and that heat is feeding directly into the Southwest ridge, pushing it to record strength, according to Weather West climate scientist Daniel Swain.
Southern California, southern Arizona, and southern Nevada bore the brunt of the first round, with record highs expected in spots like Death Valley. Oddly, it's the nights that have stood out more than the days in parts of California: some coastal Southern California spots may end up posting record "warm minimum" temperatures, with lows barely dipping under 70-75°F even after dark.
Blame the moisture. Dewpoints near or above 70°F (the kind you'd expect somewhere tropical) have become routine along coastal Southern California as ocean temperatures climb. That humidity turns an already hot pattern into something that feels far more oppressive.
Not much relief in sight. Forecasters are pointing toward a stretch of above-normal heat running deep into August, with overnight lows across Southern California metros regularly staying above 70°F.
Prep your home before the next surge
Heat waves push your HVAC system harder than almost anything else. A few things worth doing now:
Sources: Weather West (Daniel Swain), CBS Los Angeles.
