Trapped Heat Index
108.4
°F Sensation under cap
Surface Temp Anomaly
+14.2
°F Above Fall Equinox Avg
Inversion Strength
12.6
°C Temperature Cap Delta
Subsidence Rate
-0.85
m/s Sinking compression velocity
Dome Status
Extreme Heat Dome Active
Strongest planetary ridge
Meteorological Troposphere Parameters
3.7 miles (5,955 m)
-0.85 m/s
950 W/m²
1034.5 mb (500mb: 596 dam)
Atmospheric Sounding & Thermal Inversion Profile
Nashville, TN (BNA) Sounding
Subsidence Inversion Capping: High-altitude air sinks (-0.85 m/s) and undergoes adiabatic compression, warming faster than environmental lapse rate. It creates a impenetrable warm lid at 3.7 miles that locks superheated boundary air against the surface.
Regional Heat Dome Pressure Cell (Central & Southern U.S.)
Center: 35.5°N, 86.5°W (Tennessee)
Click & drag the "H" high pressure center across the U.S. map
Surface Impact: Dragging the high-pressure core models thermal advection across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and the Ohio Valley. Solar radiation penetrates unhindered due to zero cloud formation.
Meteorological Physics Model Context
As reported by The Washington Post, a massive 3.7-mile-high ridge of high pressure formed over Tennessee just one week before the autumn equinox, becoming the strongest heat dome on Earth on Wednesday. High pressure forces air parcels downward; as descending air is compressed by increasing pressure, it heats at the dry adiabatic rate (~9.8°C/km), creating an inversion cap that eliminates cloud cover, maximizes solar insolation (950 W/m²), and traps intense daytime heat.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Inversion Strength (°C) | 12.6 |
| Status | Extreme Heat Dome Active |
| Subsidence Rate (m/s) | -0.85 |
| Surface Anomaly (°F) | 14.2 |
| Trapped Heat Index (°F) | 108.4 |
Primary Event Source: The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) — "A powerful heat dome — which became the strongest on the planet Wednesday — is towering 3.7 miles above Tennessee." (September 2026).
Atmospheric Data Resources: NOAA NUCAPS Atmospheric Soundings, 500mb Geopotential Height Analysis & NASA Glenn Atmospheric Thermodynamics.