It’s getting warmer across the US each year, but some places are faring worse than others. Communities are starting to prepare for the new normal after a summer dominated by extreme heat headlines. But how bad will it get, and where will impacts be the worst?
Heat.gov was launched in 2022 by the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). It helps communities understand, forecast, and prepare for extreme heat and its impacts. The map below shows current and forecasted extreme heat across the US.
Launch Interactive Map
You can browse current heat and temperature, as well as climate outlooks for the month. For communities, the views projecting extreme heat days and days above 90°F in 2050 offer the most insights.
While most of the US will be warmer, the southern US will face the greatest threats from extreme heat. You can click any county to see how 2050s projections compare to the historical baseline. Some places will see dramatic increases. Highlands, Florida, will see 68 extreme heat days annually by 2050. It averaged just four such days from 1967 to 2005.
Heat is one of the deadliest climate threats Americans face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an average of 702 heat-related deaths per year from 2004 to 2018.
The good news is that communities are already starting to adapt. Tree equity or cool pavement programs can boost resilience to extreme heat. Governments will need to find the right mix of mitigations that best fit and protect their communities.
More to Explore
- Discover additional maps, data, and resources on Heat.gov.
- Browse heat forecasts through 2100 with the Climate Explorer.
- Check out the Heat & Health Tracker from the CDC.
- Learn more about groups and populations most at risk of extreme heat.
- Take a deeper dive into urban heat islands.
