What Is a Heat Dome? Part 1 of 3 — Why Heat Waves Get Trapped [b5rAmlQmHTm]

Published in Everyday Knowledge

Part 1 of 3: What is a heat dome, and why do meteorologists use that phrase during major heat waves? It’s not just hot air sitting at the ground. A heat dome is the 3-D shape of the atmosphere above us: a ridge in the jet stream where warm air expands, pressure surfaces rise, and sinking air helps trap, compress, and reinforce dangerous heat. In this Untamed Skies Short, we break down heat domes, heat waves, pressure levels, geostrophic wind, and the jet stream — without the hype. Watch the full heat dome explainer here: Subscribe to @untamedskies for weather explained from the map, to the sky, to the people living under it. #HeatDome #HeatWave #Shorts #JetStream #WeatherExplained #Meteorology #ExtremeHeat #UntamedSkies