California community ties all-time March temperature record in the US
A small desert community in Southern California has tied the highest March temperature ever recorded in the United States. The 108-degree day on California’s North Shore came amid a record winter heatwave in the Southwest that will stretch through the week…
NORTH SHORE, California — A small desert community in Southern California reached 108 degrees on Wednesday, tying the highest March temperature ever recorded in the United States.
It came amid a record winter heatwave in the Southwest that will extend into the weekend and could produce even higher temperatures.
The record – first achieved by Rio Grande City, Texas, in 1954 and now shared by North Shore, California – could be broken in a number of cities and towns by the end of the week. The aptly named Thermal, California was expected to reach 110 degrees on Friday.
Triple-digit temperatures also arrived earlier than ever in Phoenix when the Arizona capital reached 101 degrees on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was set nearly 40 years ago on March 26, 1988, the only other time temperatures in Phoenix reached the hundreds during the month of March, according to the NWS.
Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the NWS, said it was one of the most significant March heat waves in history.
“We broke so many records yesterday and even today we have broken several so far,” he said.
Several cities experienced their hottest March day in nearly 40 years on Wednesday, according to the NWS.
Las Vegas reached 99 degrees, beating its hottest March day on record, which was 93 degrees in 2022.
Downtown Los Angeles reached 94 degrees, breaking its previous daily record of 87 degrees in 1997.
And the desert destination of Palm Springs, California, was 104 degrees, tying its hottest March day on record since 1966.
It will remain 20 to 30 degrees above normal March temperatures for the rest of the week in the southwest before dropping slightly over the weekend. Many other cities in the region are expected to experience their first 100-plus degree day on record, according to the NWS.
