Salt Lake City sets new record for highest temperature recorded

Red Flag Warning, Heat Advisory, and Excessive Heat Warning exists throughout most of Utah until 8 pm tomorrow. Photo: National Weather Service (NOAA)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. — The temperature at Salt Lake City airport set the all-time heat record at 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday (historically for July 7). The previous record of 103 degrees was set in both 2017 and 2002.

Park City is currently under a heat advisory until tomorrow night. The National Weather Service is urging people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, and stay out of the sun. Take extra precautions if you are spending time outside, and try to schedule more strenuous activities for early morning or evening.

The Western United States has seen exceptional heat this summer, and it’s not expected to ease up. Meteorologists predict a heatwave in the coming days across the broader West.

On Wednesday, the Oregon State Medical Examiner announced that the death toll from the June heatwave had reached 116. The youngest victim was 37 and the oldest was 97, in what county officials are calling a “mass casualty event.” Across the state from June 25 to June 30, there were record-breaking temperatures in the triple-digits.

A 600dm ridge (recently called a “heat dome” in the media) is beginning to show up in the models across California and desert Southwest. Another extreme western U.S. heat wave is looking probable later next week. pic.twitter.com/2XKtiuhXuy

— Doc V (@MJVentrice) July 3, 2021

On Sunday, it is predicted that Death Valley could potentially hit 130 degrees, which would match the record for hottest temperature on Earth in decades. The highest verifiably recorded air temperature on Earth 129.2 degrees – which Death Valley hit in 2013.