Parts of California and Arizona were under extreme heat warnings again on Saturday, while hot weather extended as far north as Nebraska just one day into the spring.
Temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 100 degrees F (37.7 degrees C) in the Southwest, resulting in a notable closure. A week of record heat. Experts say April, May and June are likely to be hotter than normal almost everywhere in the U.S.
Wayne Marsh said the heat was a reason to return early to her home in Utah after she and her husband, Stephen, traveled 170 miles (273 kilometers) over two weeks in Arizona, starting at the Mexico border. Their goal was to complete more than 800 miles (1,287 km) on the Arizona Trail.
“We know our limits,” Marsh, 63, said Saturday. “We can’t hike when our bodies can’t cool down. There’s no shade out there, and the water sources are drying up. … We promised our kids we wouldn’t do superficial things. We’re not there for a search and rescue event.”
The National Weather Service forecast the temperature would reach 100 degrees (37.7 degrees Celsius) in Tucson, Arizona. Yuma, a desert community in southwestern Arizona, headed toward 105 degrees (40.5 degrees Celsius), a day after it reached 112 (43.3 degrees Celsius) — a record for the hottest March temperature in the United States.
Two places in Southern California also reached this temperature on Friday. Experts say triple-digit days usually arrive May, not March
In the Midwest, temperatures are expected to exceed 90 (32.2 degrees Celsius) across Nebraska, followed by deep drops into the 50s and 60s on Sunday. A red flag warning has been posted, meaning increased risk of bushfires. Parts of Texas were also at 90 or higher on Saturday.
The March heat would have been nearly unbearable without human causes Climate changeaccording to a report on Friday Global weather attributionan international group of scientists who study the causes of extreme weather events.