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Over the upcoming days, all-time record high temperatures will be challenged across portions of the West. Daytime highs from Washington to Arizona can range upwards of 100 Fahrenheit, with some desert Southwest locations soaring above 115 daily.
On Friday, the heat record for the day was set in Death Valley. The mercury climbed to 127 Fahrenheit with the old mark of 122 last tied in 2013. The area hit 130 in July 2021 with the disputed record 134 in July 1913.
Also there a record high for the date of 118 in Needles, Calif., where the National Weather Service has records dating to 1888. The high of 122 edged the old mark of 121 in 2007.
And it was 124 in Palm Springs.
Around 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week.
Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast could reach 100 degrees , said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. And the humidity will be high.
Factors such as a recent lack of rainfall, low relative humidity levels and stifling temperatures will create an elevated wildfire threat.The harsh conditions can dramatically raise the risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
An expansive heat wave is projected to continue across the Western states through at least early week, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The pattern of intense and elevated temperatures plaguing the region is largely due to an amplified ridge in the jet stream anchoring high pressure over it with a consistent flow of warmth from the south.
“The large and expansive heat dome across the western United States will bring record heat from the deserts of Southern California stretching northward all the way into the Pacific Northwest,” explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Daytime highs will soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit across portions of Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington and even Idaho.
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Pydynowski highlighted that cities such as Seattle will challenge their daily records Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The heat can be particularly dangerous in some cities west of the Cascades in western Washington, such as Seattle, Olympia and Port Angeles, where many people and homes do not have air conditioning.
Across the central valleys of California and the desert and basin regions of the Southwest, highs persisting above 110 and even 115 will be conceivable over the upcoming days.
“The all-time record of 117 in Las Vegas could be broken Sunday, and daily records in Vegas could be challenged or broken nearly every day from today through at least next Thursday,” noted Pydynowski.
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Copious amounts of sunshine will continue to expand across the West through at least midweek, providing little relief for residents in terms of any shade gleaming from cloud cover. In the heart of the Southwest, locations like Las Vegas and Phoenix are forecast to have max ultraviolet (UV) index levels categorized as extreme for much of this week, ranging between 11 and 12.
At UV levels such as these, protection against sun damage is necessary for anyone outdoors during the midday hours. Items such as sunscreen, a hat, and loose-fitting and light-colored clothing are recommended in these situations.
Excessive heat warnings have been issued across the West, with many warnings lasting through at least midweek. The record-challenging heat will continue to pose a risk for anyone working outdoors, particularly during the prime heating hours of the daytime from mid-morning through the afternoon.
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Forecasters say that a slight nudge in the pattern early this week will result in some cooling along the West coast, while locations farther inland will continue to bake in the heat.
“Some relief is in sight for early next week as the heat dome shifts eastward, promoting a dip in temperatures along the Pacific coast. Temperatures in cities near the Pacific coast, including San Francisco and Oakland, California, are expected to dip to near historical averages for July,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Elizabeth Danco.
Danco added that as the core of the heat dome shifts eastward into the Great Basin this week, dry conditions will again be coupled with all-time record highs from interior California into parts of southern Nevada and western Arizona.
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There are currently 41 active fires across Oregon and 20 active fires in California. Forecasters warn that the ongoing heat wave and drier pattern will not improve wildfire conditions across the West.
“The heat combined with dry brush and low relative humidity across the region will continue to promote the risk for wildfires to start and spread. Individuals are urged to exercise caution when using open flames and to adhere to any bans that may be in effect,” highlighted Danco.
Although surface winds will generally be light across the majority of the West over the upcoming days, isolated gusts up to 30-40 mph may occur from areas spanning from southern Idaho to eastern Nevada, Utah and northern Arizona, which can cause any active fires to readily spread and pose challenges for firefighting crews.
The Week 7 matchup between K-State and Arizona State will feature two of the youngest coaches in all of college football: Kenny Dillingham and Collin Klein. They are tied for the youngest in the Power 4 conferences, and only Kirby Moore of Washington State (35) and Zach Kittley (34) are younger Division I coaches.
While Dillingham didn’t play football at Arizona State, like Klein, he is at his alma mater. An injury in his high senior year forced him to stop playing and get into coaching. He became the offensive coordinator at Chaparral High School at 21 years old, and was hired just two years later by Mike Norvell as an offensive analyst at Arizona State. He went back to Tempe in 2023, after spending the previous season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon.
Both of these guys are looking to lead their alma maters to a Big 12 Championship, and this is one of those games that could be pivotal in that pursuit.
K-State Early Opponent Preview Series: Nicholls| Washington State| Tulane| Cincinnati| Houston| Kansas
Quarterback Sam Leavitt wasn’t able to live up to the hype after leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 Championship in 2024, and he announced he was transferring to LSU during the off-season. Dillingham and his staff were quick to fill the vacany, as they picked up former Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley in the transfer portal.
Boley was the highest-rated quarterback to ever commit to Kentucky, as he was a consensus 4-star recruit. He had an up-and-down freshman year in 2025, as he threw for 2,160 yards, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In a loss to Tennessee, he showed off the talent by throwing for 330 yards and five touchdowns.
The offense lost two great playmakers in Kaleek Brown and Jordan Tyson. Brown was one of the best running backs in the Big 12, as he rushed for 1,141 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tyson had to deal with injuries, but he still had 61 catches for 788 yards and eight touchdowns and ended up going No. 9 to the New Orleans Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft.
One guy who could make a strong impact in the Arizona State offense is Boston College transfer Reed Harris. He had 39 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns. He is a matchup nightmare, as he towers over defensive backs with his 6-foot-5 frame. He plays a style similar to Tyson, and he stands three inches taller and 17 pounds heavier.
There are a lot of changes on the defense at Arizona State, but defensive lineman C.J. Fites is a player who is capable of being an anchor on a defense. He took a major leap last season, finishing the year with 27 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He was named a preseason All-Big 12 defensive tackle and is a guy who figures to hear his name in the 2027 NFL Draft. Fite’s presence will force offenses to throw double-teams at him, and should open up opportunities for others to get after the quarterback.
The two leading tacklers last year were linebackers Jordan Crook and Keyshaun Elliott, who had 101 and 98 tackles, respectively. With both of these players gone, Martell Hughes is a guy who the Sun Devils will need to step up.
While there were losses in the off-season, the Sun Devils’ secondary has a chance to be one of the better units in the country. They bring back two very talented safeties in Adrian Wilson and Jessiah McGrew. The cornerback duo of Rodney Bimage Jr. and Montana Warren was good, but the arrival of LSU transfer Ashton Stamps.
He made major news last year after he hit the transfer portal after playing in only one game against Louisiana Tech. While it was a weird year, he is the type of talent that could give the Sun Devils the best secondary in the Big 12.
In today’s college football, many teams are becoming hesitant to take big challenges during the non-conference season. However, that isn’t the case with the Sun Devils, as they go to College Station to take on Texas A&M in Week 2. After that game, the schedule lightens up. Including the matchup against K-State, four of Arizona State’s next five games will be at home.
The challenging part of the Sun Devils’ conference schedule is that some of their toughest matchups are on the road. They have road trips at Texas Tech, BYU, and Arizona, who are looked at as contenders in the Big 12.
Dillingham has been outstanding early in his tenure in Tempe. After going 3-9 in his first year in 2023, he helped lead the Sun Devils to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season. Last year, they finished the year 8-5, despite losing quarterback Sam Leavitt early in the year.
The Big 12 is wide-open, and the Sun Devils once again to have the pieces to compete for a spot in the conference championship.
Date: Saturday, October, 24
Time: TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Mountain America Stadium
Series history: Arizona State leads the all-time series, 6-1. The Sun Devils have dominated this series, and won the most recent game 24-14 in 2024. The only time the Wildcats have knocked off Arizona State was in the 2002 Holiday Bowl.
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Sanjay Suchak
Two Arizona Public Enemy concerts in one year? As Chuck D. might say, bring the noise.
After a searing set in February at Tempe’s Innings Festival, the legendary hip-hop group will return to metro Phoenix on Saturday, Oct. 24, to perform as part of the Arizona State Fair’s concert series.
The concert starts at 7 p.m. inside the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum with no opening act.
Public Enemy joins a growing lineup of artists set to perform at the 2026 Arizona State Fair, which runs weekends from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.
Previously announced Coliseum Concert Series performers include alt-rockers Gin Blossoms on Friday, Oct. 2, R&B/pop star Becky G on Friday, Oct. 9 and punk favorites The Offspring on Friday Oct. 16.
Few hip-hop acts are as iconic as Public Enemy. Fronted by Chuck D. and Flavor Flav, the group has performed since the early ‘80s and has spent decades mixing politically charged lyrics with fierce bests on classic tracks like “Fight the Power,” “Bring the Noise” and “Welcome to the Terrordome.”
Public Enemy’s upcoming concert marks the first time the iconic hip-hop act has performed at the Arizona State Fair and their latest in a series of Valley gigs. It also continues a decades-long history of Valley performances.
Over the years, Public Enemy has played venues large and small across metro Phoenix, from arenas and stadium shows to concert halls Tempe’s Marquee Theatre. The group also famously staged an impromptu performance at the long-running local hip-hop event The Blunt Club back in 2006.
Tickets for Gin Blossoms and Russell Dickerson are already available through azstatefair.com/concerts.
Tickets for Public Enemy at the fair go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday through azstatefair.com/concerts. A presale for subscribers to the Fair Fandom newsletter begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Reserved-seat upgrades are available for all four concerts. Each concert ticket also includes admission to the Arizona State Fair.
VIDEO: Hundreds of loved ones and first responders gathered Saturday to celebrate the life of Nicholas Hutcherson, an Arizona wildland firefighter killed late last month while battling a wildfire in Colorado.
Hutcherson was part of a Helitack crew trained to respond to remote areas and contain wildfires before they spread.
He was one of three wildland firefighters killed June 27.
His father, Ron Hutcherson, said his son sent him a text message the morning he died, saying he was on his way to a fire and would try to call that evening.
“The text included a picture from inside his Helitack helicopter,” Ron Hutcherson said. “One of his crew members had a Snoopy on their helmet — he knew how much me and my wife loved Snoopy.”
That evening, a call came — but not from Nicholas.
Saturday, Ron Hutcherson read a letter addressed to his son, recounting their shared memories — including the moment a young Nicholas fell in love with the fire department.
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