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Extreme heat looks to continue across the West

A burst of unusual March heat is hitting the United States this week and into next, busting previous monthly heat records by wide margins. While heat is most acutely felt by people exposed to it, graphics and charts convey the scale of this extreme event.

Temperatures in the West remain far above what’s typical for March, a sign the early season heat is not letting up. Compared with the average highs for March between 1991 and 2020, temperatures across some parts of Oklahoma, Nebraska, northern Texas and South Dakota are reaching at least 20 degrees above normal.

Many records have already broken, in some cases by huge margins. California and Arizona have seen daily highs surpass 100 degrees in March, a major break from the norm, which is typically at least 30 degrees lower this month.

Roughly a quarter of March heat records at 400 weather stations across the United States may be tied or broken this month. While most extreme heat is concentrated in the West, as the graphic shows, there are also pockets in both the Northwest and Midwest.

When this heat wave ends, there likely won’t be much respite. April, May and June are likely to be hotter than normal almost everywhere, according to long-term predictions from the National Weather Service. The only places where forecasters predict a more typical season are the Northeast and areas near the Great Lakes, in the northern part of the country.

Forecasters say Arizona, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico — already the nation’s hottest region — are most likely to see an even more sizzling spring than typical.


Graphics show the degree of departure from normal high temperatures, and cities expecting record highs on Saturday. (National Weather Service)
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