High temperatures across the western United States persisted on Sunday, March 22, as the ongoing heat wave broke temperature records in some areas, and caused dozens to seek health treatment at an Arizona airshow.
The scorching heat wave, which began last week and brought dangerous temperatures to parts of California, Arizona, and other Southwestern states, is expected to expand east into the central United States in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters warned that record temperatures will continue over the next several days.
The unprecedented early heat wave was the result of a high-pressure system spinning across the West, causing "an expansive dome of unusually hot temperatures," the weather service said. Based on preliminary data, the agency said more than 150 daily high-temperature marks and about 50 March records have already been broken since March 17.
Most areas from the Southwest into the Great Plains will see temperatures that are 25 to 35 degrees "higher than normal for this time of year," according to the weather service. Some areas in the central Plains were expected to see temperatures that are over 40 degrees above average over the weekend, and overnight low temperatures were also forecast to be "well above average, providing little relief from the heat."
