How a U.S. heat dome could bring severe summer storms to Canada – The Weather Network

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Significant ridges of high pressure over the central United States often turn into brutal heat domes that crank the heat for days and even weeks on end.

It’s tough to come across a drop of liquid relief amid the blistering sunshine beneath the ridge. All approaching disturbances and squall lines deflect around a heat dome, tracking around the ridge’s periphery like train cars following railroad tracks.

This is a common setup for severe weather during the summer months, and it could bring some rough weather to Canada this summer.

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Forecasters expect heat domes to build over the central U.S. this summer. This is bad news for folks south of the border who might experience intense and prolonged heat through the season ahead.

If those ridges develop far enough to the north, we could see lines of thunderstorms sweep across the southern Prairies and into the Great Lakes region.

Lines of storms typically pack a threat for high wind gusts, heavy rainfall, and vivid lightning. Historically, some of these lines can grow into derechos that pack damaging winds over long distances.