Records could be smashed in southern California as experts warn weather set to be ‘exceptional – and not in a good way’
States across the US west are bracing for a brutal early-season heatwave threatening to cook several cities through the weekend and into next week. Forecasters warned temperatures will spike 20-30F above normal for several days.
Daily records could be shattered in southern California this week, the National Weather Service said, with a possibility that all-time records for March will be broken as well. Following the warmest winter on record across most of the region, the intense conditions are expected to eat into low snowpack levels, deepening drought concerns.
Caused by a large and persistent dome of pressure settling over a large swath of the west, the blasts of heat are expected to come in two waves, first hitting the west coast on Thursday and spreading east through California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Another, stronger round, is set to start on Monday, reaching into Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming.
By Tuesday next week, areas home to roughly 26.4 million people will be affected by moderate heat risks, the second level out of four designated by the NWS, affecting sensitive populations and those without access to cooling or hydration the most. Tens of thousands may face extreme heat – the highest level – with no overnight relief.
