The West is baking under a heat dome that has sent temperatures soaring to historically high levels, further drying out soils and priming the region for fast-spreading wildfires. The heat wave is noteworthy for its severity, extent and duration.

During the past seven days alone, 465 warm temperature records have been set or tied across the country, mainly in the West, with 49 monthly warm temperature records set or tied, according to the National Center for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina.

These numbers are rising by the hour as the blistering heat wave continues from interior areas of southern California, across the barren Nevada and Utah deserts, northward into western Montana, and west from there toward Washington and Oregon.

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The heat doesn't stop at the Canadian border, though, as record-breaking heat has also taken hold in British Columbia and Alberta.

Cranbrook, British Columbia, set an all-time high temperature record of 98 degrees Fahrenheit, or 36.8 degrees Celsius, on Sunday, according to The Weather Network.

According to weather.com, Revelstoke, British Columbia, which is a ski resort community, saw a high temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, or 39.5 degrees Celsius, on Sunday.

With dozens of wildfires still burning in western Canada and Alaska, a thick blanket of smoke has descended over parts of the intermountain West. This has reduced visibility and increased public health risks for people with respiratory ailments in Montana and the Dakotas, for example.

In fact, some of the smoke has reached as far south as Tennessee, based on satellite observations.

Monday was the third day in a row that Salt Lake City had a triple-digit high temperature. The high temperature on June 29 at Salt Lake City was 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius, which was three degrees below the city's all time high temperature record, according to the National Weather Service.

Salt Lake City typically sees about six 100-degree days per year. So far this year, they've already had four such days. By the end of the day on Tuesday, that will most likely creep up to five.

Long-lived event

Heat dome parked across the West, shown in this simulation of jet stream winds. Image: Earth Simulator

The extreme heat is not likely to go away anytime soon, either. Computer model forecasts show it may last until early next week before another heat ridge builds over Alaska, further raising wildfire risks there, and potentially giving all but the Pacific Northwest a respite from the heat.

Take a look at all the #wildfires in Alaska and Canada! The smoke from these fires is making it into the Midwest. pic.twitter.com/Af29x8EAYZ — NWS Boise (@NWSBoise) June 30, 2015

It's possible that some records for heat wave longevity will be tied or broken by this event, which speaks to its unusual nature. The forecast for some parts of the interior Pacific Northwest calls for high temperatures in the lower 100s Fahrenheit through early next week.

The Weather Channel's Jon Erdman and Nick Wiltgen have compiled a comprehensive list of the most impressive temperature records that have fallen. These include the low temperature in Las Vegas on Friday, which was 91 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32.77 degrees Celsius — a temperature most Americans would consider to be a hot daily high temperature. This was the first time Vegas saw a low in the 90s during the month of June.

The heat dome is parked across a region experiencing a historic drought. The Pacific Northwest has seen steadily worsening drought conditions during the past few months, and the combination of high heat, low humidity and afternoon thunderstorms that fail to deliver much rain yet still zap the ground with lightning (so-called dry thunderstorms) are creating conditions ideal for starting major fires.

Although only one destructive wildfire has hit the lower 48 states as a result of this heat wave event, it's likely that many more are on the way given the tinderbox-like conditions in much of the West.

The areas most at risk for thunderstorms are located on the periphery of the heat dome, near stronger upper level winds that can trigger such storms.

This heat wave is posing a particularly significant public health threat because air conditioning is sparse in many parts of the West, including Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, weather.com reported.

Several all-time high temperature records were set or tied on June 28 in particular. This includes Chief Joseph Dam, Washington, which reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius, beating the previous all-time high temperature record of 110 degrees set in July of 2006.

Seattle close to record high Wednesday. 88°F forecast. Redding California at 114°F is scorching. pic.twitter.com/STuZBRLLjF — Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) June 30, 2015

Chelan, Washington, reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, or 43.3 degrees Celsius, on June 28, beating the previous record of 109 degrees, set the previous day. Prior to this heat wave, Chelan's highest all-time temperature was 106 degrees, and records there date back to 1890.

According to Weather Underground weather historian Christopher Burt, if the 113-degree reading in Walla Walla, Washington, on June 28 is validated, it would not just be an all-time record for that location, but an all-time record for the state of Washington. The previous Washington record is 112 degrees Fahrenheit, set in 1961, according to Weather Underground.

Idaho may have also set a new all-time state high temperature record, when Lewiston, Idaho, reached 111 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nearly 44 degrees Celsius, on June 28.

Locations in Montana, such as Kalispell and Missoula, have seen temperatures reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38.9 degrees Celsius, in a state that is not exactly synonymous with "heat." Helena, the state capital, hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit, or 39.4 degrees Celsius, over the weekend.

Many more records are likely to fall before this event ends, and the long-range climate outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center favor continued above average temperatures across the Pacific Northwest and parts of Alaska.

Climate studies show that global warming is raising the likelihood of extreme heat events and is also enhancing their severity across the world, including the U.S.

In other words, get used to seeing new all-time high temperature records.