Arizona
Historic March Heat Wave For West, Plains, Including California, Arizona | Weather.com
Southwest Bakes Under Summerlike Heat
A historic heat wave is underway in the West that will also spread into parts of the Plains smashing all-time record highs for March, perhaps even April, and this will have staying power in the Southwest into next week.
(MAP: Temperatures Right Now)
March Records Already Set
Eleven cities in California and Arizona have already tied or set new March record highs.
For the first time in 96 years, Redwood City, California, hit 90 degrees in March on Monday. They did it again Tuesday, topping out at 93 degrees.
Other March records have been set in Santa Ana, California (100 degrees Tuesday) and tied in Flagstaff, Arizona (73 degrees Tuesday).
People flock to Baker Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge as a heat advisory was issued in San Francisco, California, on Monday, March 16, 2026.
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Heat Wave Shifts To Higher Gear
There’s much more ahead in this heat wave.
The National Weather Service has issued extreme heat warnings and heat advisories in the Southwest. This is the first time a heat advisory has been issued in the Bay Area during in March.
(MORE: Heat Safety And Preparation)
It will not only intensify in the Southwest, but it will spread throughout much of the West into parts of the Plains later this week into the weekend.
While some cooler air will slide into the northern and central U.S. beginning Sunday, record heat will persist in the Southwest into at least the first half of next week.
How hot are we talking about? Think mid-summer heat as we’re turning the page officially to spring in mid-late March.
Triple-digit highs: The Desert Southwest, including Phoenix, Tucson, possibly as far north as Las Vegas, and parts of the L.A. Basin are forecast to see 100-degree-plus highs for multiple days. This weekend, a few of the hottest locations in the Southern Plains could also reach the century mark.
90s: California’s Central Valley, even parts of the Bay Area, will rise into the 90s for multiple days. This weekend, 90s are possible as far north as Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. And that could reach as far east as Omaha and Kansas City.
(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs, Lows)
Historic Notables
Again, we’re not just talking about records set for a specific calendar day. This heat wave could set records for any March day in over 100 cities from California to Montana to Nebraska to Texas.
These are locations that could tie or set new all-time March heat records in this heat wave.
Prior to this, Phoenix, Arizona, had only hit 100 degrees once in March. They’re expected to see at least four, if not more, straight days of triple-digit highs in this heat wave. In an average year, they typically don’t reach 100 degrees until May 2.
Both Las Vegas and downtown Los Angeles have never hit 100 degrees in March. They have a low chance of doing that in this heat wave.
Kansas City hasn’t reached 90 degrees in March since 1910. They might do that this weekend. In parts of the Plains, highs this weekend could be as much as 40 degrees warmer than average.
Perhaps most impressive is some all-time March records for entire states could be in jeopardy. According to weather historian Christopher Burt, 10 states from Arizona and California to Wyoming to Oklahoma could threaten their all-time state March records, including:
- California: 107 at Mecca on March 21, 2004
- Arizona: 104 at Yuma on March 21, 2004
- Colorado: 96 at Holly on March 19, 1907
- Oklahoma: 104 at Frederick on March 27, 1971
But wait, there’s even more. Burt also noted the U.S. all-time March record of 108 degrees in Rio Grande City, Texas, is also in jeopardy.
If that city sounds a little familiar, this Deep South Texas reporting station recorded what may be the nation’s hottest winter temperature just over a month ago.
Put simply, this may be most significant, long-lived March heat wave the nation has experienced since the March 2012 heat wave rewrote the record books in the central U.S. and Canada.
Forecast Departures From Average High Temperatures
Why So Hot So Soon?
The reason for why this heatwave in particular has to do with the ridge of high pressure, also known as a heat dome, that is parked over the West.
This heat dome is record breaking for March, comparable in strength to ones we see in June. You can see the general position of the high pressure on the graphic below.
Record high pressure? Record temperatures. Temperatures we are seeing this week… in March... are comparable to what we should be seeing in summer.
This heat dome will eventually weaken and flatten a bit later next week.
Snow Drought, Climate Change
The warmest winter on record in much of the West has already left snowpack at its lowest levels in at least two decades from the Rockies of Colorado to the Oregon Cascades.
As the graph below shows, Colorado’s snowpack is least for any mid-March in the last 40 years, according to the USDA’s National Water and Climate Center.
This graph shows the water locked in Colorado’s snowpack each winter season, with 2025-26 shown by the black line. Areas in the light green shading can be considered “near average” for the state’s snowpack.
(NRCS/USDA)
After feet of snowfall in early February, California’s Sierra snowpack has since dwindled to only 42% of average for this time of year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Melting snow in spring and summer typically supplies 30% of the state’s water. Fortunately, the state’s reservoirs are higher than average due to recent wet years.
This heat wave will further deplete the already paltry snowpack in the West. That could lead to an expansion of drought in the Southwest and higher fire danger early this summer before the summer monsoon kicks in, according to outlooks by NOAA and the National Interagency Fire Center.
And this heat wave appears to have climate change’s fingerprints on it.
According to an analysis by Climate Central, the magnitude of this heat wave by March standards has been made at least five times more likely by climate change.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
As the Iowa State Cyclones continue to reflect on what was a strong season, one of their top players from last year is in the portal and is the best player available.
After deciding to come back to college a couple of days ago, Milan Momcilovic is now the best player in the portal and has a number of suitors looking to bring him in. Due to the large amount of money that he is expected to get, it would be a complete shock if he came back to Iowa State at this point. However, where he goes could have an impact on the program.
Last season, the junior had a breakout year and emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. While there is still work to be done to translate his game to the next level, he is an impact player in college basketball.
However, where he might go is the big decision everyone is waiting to see. Currently, it appears to be a three-horse race between the Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Louisville Cardinals. Of the three, the Cyclones certainly don’t want to see him go to one of those schools.
Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be a Tough Blow
If the star shooter for the Cyclones were to choose the Wildcats, it would be a tough blow for Iowa State. While the Cyclones had a great season this year, it was Arizona that was a thorn in their side.
The Wildcats were able to beat them both in their regular-season matchup and then again in the Big 12 tournament. The game in the Big 12 was an absolute thriller and went right down to the wire.
While Iowa State might have lost, it was Momcilovic who had a fantastic game in the showdown. Now, as the talented sharpshooter mulls his decision on where to play next year, seeing him go to Arizona would be a tough blow for the Cyclones.
This was a team that beat them twice last year, and taking one of their best players would likely result in the Wildcats being considered a better team heading into next season as well.
While Iowa State did a great job in the transfer portal and has some young talent coming back, losing the best three-point shooter in the country is a big blow. Furthermore, since Kentucky and Louisville aren’t in the Big 12, seeing Momcilovic join one of those squads wouldn’t sting or have an impact on the Cyclones nearly as much.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Friday, May 29, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers
19-24-47-59-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers
2-7-1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
02-08-31-32-40
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
09-20-23-31-36-40
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The two Republicans running for Arizona attorney general faced each other Thursday in a debate that devolved into insults and name-calling.
State Senate President Warren Petersen is running against military attorney Rodney Glassman in the Republican primary. The debate turned chaotic as the candidates clashed.
“Are you asking the questions, Steve?” Petersen said.
The moderator attempted to regain control. “Gentlemen, we’re going to reset,” he said.
Candidates clash over experience
The debate was the last before early voting begins next month. In between the name-calling, the two candidates argued over their resumes.
Glassman said Petersen does not have the legal experience for the job.
“Warren is just full of information, you can call them lies. He received his law license in December 2023, 28 months ago. He has never filed a lawsuit as a lawyer. He has never prosecuted a criminal as a lawyer,” Glassman said.
Petersen has had a law license for less than three years. He said he worked on cases in Scottsdale while earning his degree. Petersen said his experience as the current state Senate president also counts.
“I have done more in three years than Rodney Glassman will even get done in his life because he’s a trust fund baby who’s just looking for a place. He’s been running for 15 years and he’s lost six elections in a row,” Petersen said.
History of campaigns
Glassman has not won an elected office since he served as a Democrat on the Tucson City Council in 2007. Glassman is an Air Force attorney with 17 years of experience.
Democratic strategist Matt Grodsky said the real winner was the incumbent, Kris Mayes.
“I thought it was entertaining television. I’m glad Arizona got to see up close why these two individuals should be nowhere near the AG’s office,” Grodsky said.
Voting in the primary begins June 24.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
-
Washington, D.C3 minutes agoTexas man indicted in shooting near Washington Monument that left bystander hurt
-
Cleveland, OH6 minutes ago3 Options For the Cavaliers to Replace GM Mike Gansey
-
Austin, TX11 minutes agoOne dead, victim unidentified after APD responds to deceased person call in South Austin
-
Alabama18 minutes agoLive Game, Weather Updates: Tuscaloosa Baseball Regional, No. 7 Alabama vs. USC Upstate
-
Alaska21 minutes agoWayne and Wanda: I’m ready to break up with Alaska but facing resistance from everyone
-
Arizona26 minutes agoWhy Milan Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be Tough Blow for Iowa State Basketball
-
Arkansas33 minutes agoBaseball notebook: Kansas and Arkansas to play in winner’s bracket
-
California36 minutes agoCalifornia governor’s race tightens as primary day approaches
