A 'stuck' jet stream can trap hot air like a lid on a pot
When the jet stream slows and wobbles, it creates high-pressure heat domes that trap scorching air over the landscape, preventing cooler weather from moving in and shattering temperature records across the globe.
A phenomenon known as an atmospheric blocking pattern can cause the jet stream to become 'stuck,' acting like a lid on a pot that traps hot air in place. These high-pressure systems create extreme temperature inversions where warm air aloft prevents mixing with cooler surface air. This physics-driven event leads to prolonged heatwaves, such as those that have pushed temperatures in Phoenix and Palm Springs into the triple digits weeks earlier than historically expected.
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