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Many North Dakotans have been wondering why the weather has seemed uncharacteristically severe this summer, and meteorologists have an explanation.
A large portion of the county, home to 130 million Americans, is currently being impacted by what meteorologists call a “heat dome.” A heat dome occurs when a high pressure system traps hot air near the surface, causing expansive parts of the U.S. to experience extreme heat, sometimes pushing 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This phenomenon is likely the main contributor to the excess of storms the Northern Prairie is experiencing this summer, as North Dakota is located in the area surrounding the heat dome, which is known as a “ring of fire.” Thunderstorms readily develop around the heat dome’s high-pressure system. Due to the summertime heat and humidity, the Weather Channel says that the thunderstorms can get quite severe, even becoming derechos, which the James River Valley experienced during the June 20th storms.
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