Understanding The Heat Dome's Impact On Illinois This Summer

Summer isn't easing in this year, it's cannonballing into Illinois with a brutal heat dome that's turning the Midwest into a sweaty mess. If you thought humidity couldn't get worse, wait until the Rock River starts steaming like your uncle's backyard grill.

Why Illinois Will Feel Like a Sauna This Week—Blame the 'Heat Dome'

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If you're anywhere in Illinois (especially near the steam bath formerly known as the Rock River), brace yourself. This weekend and beyond, temps will flirt with triple digits, and thanks to the humidity, it could feel more like 110.

What is a Heat Dome?

A heat dome is basically Mother nature putting a lid on the atmosphere and cranking the thermostat. It traps heat and moisture, turning your backyard into a crockpot and your car into a regret chamber. Meteorologists say overnight lows will barley dip below the mid-70s, which means even your 3 a.m. ice cream run won't be refreshing.

A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity. (Ricky Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Illinois.)

Survive the Swelter Without Turning Into a Human Raisin

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1. Hydrate like it's your side hustle. Water, not soda. No, beer doesn't count.

2. Check on vulnerable neighbors, pets, and anyone still using a box fan from 1992.

3. Avoid doing dumb stuff like mowing at noon.

Need a cooll escape? Hurrincane Harbor is open and full of people pretending the wave pool is an actual ocean. Not into bathing suits and heat rash? Catch a double feature at AMC 16, bless their frosty air conditioning and overpriced slushies.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF