Heat dome and wildfire smoke to blanket much of US. See map - USA Today

What the report says

USA Today reported that a heat dome and smoke from Canadian wildfires are expected to affect large parts of the United States this week, creating dangerous heat and unhealthy air for millions. The article, updated July 28, 2026, said the hottest conditions will shift westward, with AccuWeather forecasting triple-digit temperatures from the Southwest into Oklahoma and Texas.

According to USA Today, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill said a heat dome centered over the Texas Panhandle would move toward the Southwest late in the week. Forecast highs were expected to reach about 100 to 111 degrees across parts of the Southwest, Oklahoma and Texas, while California’s San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys could see lower 100s by Thursday. Southern California deserts were forecast to climb as high as 110 to 120 degrees.

The report said the combination of extreme heat, dry air and wind will raise wildfire danger, especially east of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon and north into British Columbia, where major fires were already burning. Merrill also cited elevated risk in the Sierra Nevada, the Great Basin, Southern California mountains and the northern Rockies, with possible fire spread into Idaho and Montana as winds increase into the weekend.

USA Today, citing AccuWeather, said smoke impacts are likely to be worst from the Northwest into the Dakotas and the Northeast into August, with air quality concerns most pronounced in the Northwest. The article also noted National Weather Service guidance calling for above-normal heat across the Plains, Mississippi Valley and Southeast, and included public-health context from the CDC on recognizing heat-related illness.