Book 7, Question 88
Why Do Heat Waves Stick Around?
Heat waves stick around because of a stuck area of high pressure, sometimes called a heat dome. A high-pressure area can park over a region for days, and it keeps the hot air from moving away. Stuck weather makes sticky heat!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 7
More fun facts
- A heat dome forms when high pressure high in the atmosphere pushes hot air down toward the ground and traps it.
- Heat domes stop clouds and rain from forming, so the Sun keeps baking the ground.
- In July 2026, a heat dome helped break all-time temperature records in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.
- In mid-September 2026, a heat dome brought record heat to the south-central United States, even as summer was ending.
- Satellites help scientists track heat domes from space.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
What is a heat dome?
High pressure high up that pushes hot air down and traps it near the ground.
Why don't heat domes have rain?
They stop clouds from growing, so rain can't form.