Record-breaking heat swelters the West Coast with temperatures soaring into the triple digits
Daily and monthly records are expected to be broken for March and April, which could reshape how we experience early spring compared to recent years.
Record March heat wave bakes more than 40M across the West with dangerous temperatures
High temperatures are soaring as much as 35 degrees above average for this time of year from California to the Great Plains, as a dangerous March heat wave roasts more than 40 million people. Phoenix rose to 102 degrees Wednesday and parts of California also reached triple digits. The hottest days are expected to be Thursday through Saturday but relief will not be immediate. According to the FOX Forecast Center, dozens of record high temperatures will likely be shattered over the next week.
Record-breaking heat is making an intense appearance across the U.S. in March. The FOX Forecast Center is tracking what could be the most intense heat wave ever observed in the country, which is expected to sizzle the West Coast over the course of the next week.
California has reached its hottest March temperature on record after hitting 108 degrees in Thermal on Thursday. 108 degrees also ties the national record for hottest temperature in the month of March, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Hottest March temperature in California ever recorded.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
Daily and monthly records are expected to be broken for March and April, which could reshape how we experience early spring compared to recent years.
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This comes as an already record-low snowpack will melt away even further amid the potential heat wave.
High temperatures up to 35 degrees above average for this time of year could span from California to the Great Plains, with the hottest days expected now through Saturday.
(FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, a heat dome or high-pressure system is expected to strengthen over the West. This heat dome is forecasted to be at record strength for this time of year, similar to summer heat waves.
"High pressure means air is heavy and sinking toward the surface," a statement from the FOX Forecast Center reads. "As air sinks, it moves from a region of lower pressure [high atmosphere] to a region of higher pressure [near the ground]."
Temperatures will remain hot enough to shatter records beyond Saturday in about a dozen locations until the middle of next week.
Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are in place for nearly 40 million Americans across California and into the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.
Locations such as Tucson, Arizona, could see temperatures as high as 103 degrees by Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
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Phoenix, Arizona, reached 102 degrees on Wednesday, making it the earliest the city has ever reached 100 degrees (previously March 26, 1988).
(FOX Weather)
Phoenix is experiencing its earliest heat warning, with the previous earliest occurring from April 26 to 30 of 2020.
Avoid outdoor activities during the day. If you must be outside, be sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade.
The heat wave will be the final push toward more consistent spring warmth, after what has already been a poor snow season in the West. The Western U.S. relies on consistent snowpack to serve as a natural reservoir that slowly releases water through July.
Still, this premature spike in temperatures is draining the region’s water bank way earlier than normal.
Wheat and melting snow in the field.
(Adobe Stock / FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, as snow disappears earlier than normal, high-elevation vegetation will dry out faster. This will also extend the 2026 wildfire season by four to six weeks, and by June/July, it will affect farmers and cities that need water the most after the melting from the mountains has dried up.
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So far, over 60 March high temperature records have been broken.
Potential record-breaking temperatures
- Las Vegas, Nevada: The city may hit 100 degrees on Friday. The current all-time March record is 93 degrees, which was broken on Wednesday with a high of 94 degrees. More impressively, Las Vegas has never hit 100 degrees earlier than May 1. This would shatter the earliest 100-degree record by over six weeks.
- Los Angeles, California: Parts of the L.A. Basin and the San Fernando Valley (Burbank/Van Nuys) could reach 100 degrees. For context, the downtown L.A. record for March is 99 degrees, a record that has stood since 1879.
- Sacramento, California: Forecast to hit 90 degrees, Sacramento has never recorded a 90-degree day in the month of March in its entire recorded history.
- San Francisco Bay Area: Locations like San Jose and Napa are targeting the 90-degree mark, which would tie or break all-time March records across the region.
- Denver, Colorado: Forecast to reach the mid-80s, this is nearly 30 degrees above the March average. For a city that can often see blizzards in March, this would be an unprecedented monthly record.
- Salt Lake City, Utah, and Reno, Nevada: Both cities are expected to challenge their all-time March highs, with temperatures climbing into the low 80s.