March has already been historically hot, but the early onset of summer weather across the region may be here to stay. There’s little reprieve in forecasts, which show more heat records may fall this spring.
Extreme heat is exceptionally dangerous, especially so early in the year, when bodies and systems are not prepared for it and when it lingers over a long period of time. This heatwave is also posing significant threats to the water supply. After one of the warmest winters in the west, the snow that feeds streams, reservoirs and soil moisture as it melts through the summer season is already dismally scarce in key watersheds.
.... The unprecedented heat event pushed temperatures between 20 to 30F higher than average across the region, with some areas seeing spikes up to 40F higher than normal.
March high temperature records have already been broken in at least 14 states. A new national temperature record for the month was smashed last Thursday, when an area in Arizona hit 110F (43.3C). The record didn’t stand long; by Friday, it was broken again, when a parts of California and Arizona reached 112F (44.4C). The record is just one degree shy of April’s heat record.
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