san francisco — San Franciscans exposed an unusual amount of skin for this time of year on Tuesday, as the city known for its cool summers, drizzle and fog experienced its warmest March in at least two decades, as part of a rare winter heatwave sweeping across the western United States.
While the Bay Area is approaching highs of 90 degrees (32.2 C), Phoenix is expected to reach 100 degrees F (37.7 C) this week — something it typically does in early May and never did before March 26. Las Vegas could see the longest stretch of March ever recorded. Records They were falling too In Los Angeles and across Southern California.
It’s a stark contrast to the Midwest and eastern half of the country, which drill afterward Strong snow storms Which led to the cancellation of thousands of flights this week.
Dogs and sunbathers flocked to Crissy Field Beach on the north end of San Francisco, while the Golden Gate Bridge gleamed nearby. Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Bay Area, said it was unusual for San Francisco to get this hot this early.
That last happened in 2005, when the city center reached a record high of 87 F (30.5 C) on March 11, part of a two-day heat wave and its record high for the month. In March 2004, the city experienced a heat wave that lasted for about a week with temperatures reaching around 80 F (26.7 C).
Temperatures in the city on Tuesday appeared to be record high.
“It feels like summer has already arrived in March. It’s crazy, but I love it,” said Justise Rowles, a dog walker.
But San Francisco resident Jessica Ling pointed to one challenge facing San Franciscans: Most don’t have air conditioning.
“We have our fans, our windows are open, but we try to be outside as much as possible,” she said.
Elsewhere, cities more accustomed to hot weather were hitting unusually high spring temperatures. There is a possibility that temperatures in Las Vegas could reach 100 F (37.7 C) on Saturday, said Brian Blanes, a meteorologist with the city’s National Weather Service forecast office. This would be the closest Las Vegas has ever reached triple digits. Even if temperatures remain in the double digits, the city is poised to break the March all-time high of 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 degrees Celsius), which was set in 2022, he said.
“If people are visiting Vegas this weekend, just prepare for the heat and make sure they stay hydrated,” he said. “That would be unusual for this time of year.”
Mark Reeves has been heeding the advice, drinking plenty of water, staying in the shade, and occasionally dipping into the many air-conditioned casinos. The New Zealand visitor, who was standing in front of the famous Bellagio fountains, said he did not think the weather would be this hot.
But the heat did not dampen his journey.
“For me, this is the trip of a lifetime,” he added. “I’ve never been to the United States before, and I may never come back here again.”
Johnny and Darren Anderson were happy to trade the cold weather in Little Rock, Arkansas for the dry heat of Las Vegas to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They noted that it is less humid than Arkansas in the summer.
Meanwhile, some western national parks that were bracing for spring break crowds urged people to check the weather forecast before heading out. High temperatures in White Sands National Park in New Mexico can reach the mid-90s F (about 35 C). Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is under an extreme heat warning, with temperatures potentially reaching 104 F (40 C) in some places. Park officials’ message: Avoid strenuous hiking during the hottest part of the day, which they schedule from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Denver hasn’t seen three consecutive days in March where the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 degrees Celsius) since 1907, but it could happen again this week, the National Weather Service said.
The heat wave comes at the end of an unusually warm winter that led to a shortage of snow in Colorado’s mountains, which provide water to millions of people. Water providers in the Denver area have already enacted or are considering limits on the number of days people can water their lawns. They are urging people not to be tempted to turn on their sprinklers this month.
Temperatures will likely drop below freezing later, causing any remaining water in sprinkler systems to freeze and break lines, said Shawnee Klein, a spokesman for Aurora Water, which supplies water to 400,000 people in suburban Denver.
“The earlier you wake up, it’s not necessarily the better,” she said of the lawns.
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Associated Press journalists Jessica Hale in Las Vegas, Colleen Slevin in Denver, and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.