Charlotte’s heat wave continues, driven by ‘heat dome’ over Plains. When will it end?

Blistering temperatures are expected to continue in Charlotte until the weekend, driven by a massive “heat dome” that’s baking much of the United States.

Charlotte is expected to see highs of 96 to 97 degrees Thursday and Friday, but humidity will make that feel like 102 to 103 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

That means Charlotteans will continue to face warnings between “extreme caution” and “danger” when they’re outside for extended periods, especially when exercising, according to the NWS.

These conditions are expected to continue until Saturday, when temperatures will likely dip back into the low 90s.

This week’s scorching temperatures are caused by an enormous mass of high-pressure air hovering over the Great Plains, said NWS meteorologist Patrick Moore. While summer heat waves are often broken by thunderstorms, this upper anticyclone – or “heat dome” – makes it almost impossible for those to form.

Hot as it is in Charlotte, North Carolina is getting off relatively easy compared to the states farther west. About 30 million Americans were expected to see temperatures in the triple digits this week in cities such as Billings, Mont., and Bismarck, S.D., according to the Washington Post.