dew points the area has experienced in over 51 years. The heat index reached that day. La Guardia Airport in New York City recorded three consecutive days above . The temperature peaked at 102 °F on August 2. Colonial Downs, a horse track in New Kent County, Virginia, canceled horse racing because of the heat. The Saratoga Race Course, north of Albany, canceled racing at the horse track for the first time in its history on August 2. By August 8, the heat wave had passed for most areas, but persisted in the South and Southeast, with continued reports of mortality in Oklahoma. Timeline The heat wave went through several distinct periods: From July 15 to July 22 very high temperatures spread across most all of the United States and Canada. On Monday, July 17, every state except Alaska, Minnesota, and North Dakota recorded temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or greater. North Dakota had recorded a temperature of 104 °F (40 °C) the previous day. On July 15, South Dakota has tied its record high temperature of 120 °F (49 °C) near Fort Pierre with the previous state record set on July 5, 1936. From July 23 to July 29 the abnormal heat was concentrated in the West coast and South West deserts. 164 fatalities were reported in California during this period. From July 29 to August 4 the heat wave moved eastward, causing further fatalities as it progressed. From August 4 to August 27, high temperatures persisted in the South and Southeast United States. The heat wave finally ended with the progression of a cold front through the Southern Plains. Reported physical damage Dallas, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; the New England region; and other areas have reported damage such as ruptured water lines and buckled roads. The heat wave has been blamed for the damage. Interstate 44 had two traffic lanes temporarily closed in Oklahoma City after they buckled under the heat. In addition, overworked power transformers have been damaged or rendered useless because of the heat, resulting in blackouts, notably in St. Louis, Missouri; Queens, New York; Los Angeles, California; and the Delaware Valley. Some wildfires, including forest fires, and greater thunderstorm intensity, have both been blamed on the heat wave. Canadian heat Parts of Canada, mostly areas of provinces located close to the U.S. border (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) had been affected in waves by the