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Historic March Heat Wave Smashed Records From California To The East | Weather.com

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Historic March Heat Wave Smashed Records From California To The East | Weather.com


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How Many More Records Could Fall This Week?

The most prolific March heat wave in at least 14 years has already smashed monthly records in almost 180 cities from the Southwest to the Plains and East, and will have staying power in the Southwest and Plains this week.

(MAP: Temperatures Right Now)

First, let’s recap the incredible records we’ve seen shattered so far. Then we’ll look and see how long this heat will last.

New US March Heat Record

Before this heat wave, the hottest March temperature on record anywhere in the U.S. had been 108 degrees in Rio Grande City, Texas, on March 30, 1954, and on March 14, 1902.

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But at least one location in the U.S. tied or exceeded that March national record four days in a row from March 18 through 21.

On March 20, four reporting stations in the lower deserts of southeast California and southwest Arizona hit 112 degrees, shown in the map below. You can’t make it up that one of these stations was near the town of Winterhaven.

These highs were only one degree shy of tying the April U.S. record high set at Death Valley, California, according to weather historian Christopher Burt. And that happened in late April — April 22, 2012 and April 24, 1946.

March Statewide Records

It also appears that the hottest March temperatures on record in 14 states were either tied or broken.

We touched on the California and Arizona records above (112 degrees) as national records, but among some other state records that appear to have been tied or set include:

  • Nevada: 106 degrees on March 21
  • Colorado: 96 degrees on March 21
  • Nebraska: 99 degrees on March 21
  • Missouri: 97 degrees on March 21
  • Minnesota: 88 degrees on March 21

The other states are shown on the map below.

For bigger state or national records like these, an ad hoc committee of meteorologists and climatologists is usually convened to examine the data and the reporting station before it becomes a new, official record.

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City March Records

Almost 180 locations with data since the 1960s or earlier have tied or set new March records from California to Pennsylvania to South Carolina during this heat wave.

Some of those records are shown in the map below from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.

Phoenix only had one March day of triple digit heat on record prior to this heat wave. They hit the 100s seven days in a row from March 18-24, topping out at 105 degrees on March 20 and 21. Incredibly, that’s equal to their April monthly record, which was set almost a month later in the calendar on three dates ranging from April 20-29 in three past years.

Other major cities that tied or set new March records included San Francisco’s first March 90-degree high downtown, Las Vegas (97 degrees), Salt Lake City (84 degrees), Boise (83 degrees) and Denver (85 or 86 degrees for three straight days).

It wasn’t just a western heat wave.

March records were tied or set in Lubbock, Texas (98 degrees), Kansas City (93 degrees), Des Moines, Iowa (91 degrees), Nashville, Tennessee (89 degrees), Louisville, Kentucky (89 degrees), Indianapolis, Indiana (88 degrees), Columbus, Ohio (86 degrees), Pittsburgh (84 degrees), and Charleston, South Carolina (90 degrees).

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Perhaps the most extraordinary record heat east of the Rockies happened in Nebraska on March 21.

Both Lincoln and Omaha not only demolished their March record, after reaching 97 degrees in Lincoln and 96 in Omaha, but it also tied their April record.

Many of these almost 180 cities tied or topped their previous March records multiple days in a row. Flagstaff, Arizona, reached or topped their previous March record of 73 degrees a staggering eight days in a row from St. Patrick’s Day through Tuesday. Las Vegas did that seven days in a row through Tuesday.

Several of these cities reached the 80s, 90s, or 100s for the first time in their recorded history.

Last weekend, parts of the Plains, were as much as 45 degrees warmer than average.

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This is likely the 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.

A sign warns hikers of trail closures due to extreme heat at Camelback Mountain on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)A sign warns hikers of trail closures due to extreme heat at Camelback Mountain on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)

A sign warns hikers of trail closures due to extreme heat at Camelback Mountain on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Phoenix.

(AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)

There’s Still More Ahead In This Heat Wave

This heat wave isn’t over.

Another pulse of heat is surging into parts of the Plains and South this week, while continuing to bake the Southwest.

We’re expecting many dozen more daily record highs from California possibly as far east as parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Incredibly, some new March records could be set in a few areas, though last week’s heat set a much higher bar.

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Some cities that could once again flirt with March record highs include Cheyenne, Denver and Amarillo. On Thursday, St. Louis could approach its March record (92 degrees) on Opening Day, no less, a record set 97 years ago.

(MORE: Heat Safety And Preparation)

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How hot are we talking about?

Triple-digit highs: Parts of the Desert Southwest, including Phoenix, and the lower Colorado River Valley could again see triple digit heat through much of this week. A few of the hottest spots in western Texas, possibly southwest Oklahoma, could reach 100 degrees around Thursday.

90s: This searing heat will spread out from the Desert Southwest into the Plains from Nebraska to Texas to parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley through Thursday.

(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs, Lows)

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Relief?

Yes, there is finally relief in sight.

A late week cold front should remove the heat from the Plains and Rockies, however, above-average warmth will rebuild back into the Plains, South and Midwest this weekend.

The Southwest will have to be more patient. While daily record warmth is possible through the weekend, a pattern of somewhat cooler temperatures, even some rain and showers are possible in the West, including California and Arizona, next week.

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Long-Range Temperature Outlook (NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center)

Why So Hot So Soon?

The reason for this heat wave in particular has to do with the ridge of high pressure, also known as a heat dome, that was 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 satellite loop below in the darker shading.

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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.





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Suspected Northern California library shooter charged with murder, faces life in prison

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Suspected Northern California library shooter charged with murder, faces life in prison


OROVILLE — Bradley Scott Sayer was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and discharge of firearm with injury during his arraignment Thursday at the Butte County Superior Court.

Sayer, 18, is the suspect in the Chico library shooting on Monday in which two men were killed, and he could face life in prison. If convicted, Sayer is facing the highest penalty for capital murder with special circumstances, which would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who is the prosecutor of the case, said the court is not seeking the death penalty.

Sayer was not given bail, as Ramsey said the court felt Sayer was “too dangerous.” Ramsey also said Sayer is on suicide watch in at the Butte County Jail.

“We felt that it would be too dangerous to let him go at this juncture,” Ramsey said. “He planned a mass shooting, and there’s no reason to believe that if he was let go, that he wouldn’t continue to do that.”

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During a press conference Thursday, June 25, 2026 in Oroville, California, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey addresses the series of events leading up to the shooting and honors the two people killed in a shooting at the Chico library on Monday. (Lexi Lynn/Enterprise-Record) 



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CA state senator physically, verbally harassed at pride parade for Israel stance | The Jerusalem Post

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CA state senator physically, verbally harassed at pride parade for Israel stance | The Jerusalem Post


California State Senator Scott Wiener was harassed for his stance on Gaza during the San Francisco Trans March on Friday, to the point where it was no longer safe for him to remain, Wiener said. 

A group of people were so “physically and verbally aggressive that it was impossible for me to safely remain in the park,” Wiener stated, adding that this was the first time he did not participate in the march.

Wiener was surrounded by people who made statements about his “Israeli handlers, among many other inaccurate, extreme, and vile statements,” Wiener said.

“We f***ing hate you. You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel,” one person yelled in a video later shared on social media.

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Wiener stated that while he has no objection to anyone disagreeing, opposing, or protesting him, the “harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line.” 

“In San Francisco, we’re better than that,” he added.

Mayor Daniel Lurie made a statement on X/Twitter condemning the harassment, calling the language used “targeted, hateful, and antisemitic.”

In San Francisco, we welcome disagreement and respectful dialogue around issues many of us feel passionately about – but we cannot allow harassment and threats of violence,” Lurie wrote.

The California State Senate Democratic Caucus also released a statement on X, condemning the hate Wiener received. 

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“The harassment and violence shown from yesterday’s march in San Francisco towards Senator Scott Wiener is unacceptable and must be called out,” the statement read.

The caucus also pointed to Wiener’s work on legislation “advancing the rights and protections for Transgender, Gender Expansive and Intersex people.”

“The CA Senate Democratic Caucus and CA LGBTQ Caucus jointly denounce the verbal harassment and attacks he experienced,” the statement said.





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At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said

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At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said


California authorities unearthed at least 117 dogs in “various states of decomposition” on Friday, many of which appeared to have been killed by gunshot, as part of an ongoing investigation into an animal rescue organization.

The bodies were discovered during a search of Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Officials had been granted a warrant that included excavation of the property for evidence that dogs had been buried in “mass graves.”

The 117 canine remains were those found mostly intact at two sites, the sheriff’s office said. Nearly two dozen skulls, “hundreds” of bones, and 600 dog collars were also recovered on the property.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal thanked the law enforcement teams and forensic veterinarians who assisted in the recovery. In a statement, he noted that the investigation is “just getting started.”

“The determination all of these professionals showed while working through this horrific scene is something we will not forget,” Honsal said.

NBC News was not able to reach Shannon Miranda, the founder of Miranda’s Rescue, by phone on Sunday. She did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

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The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April regarding allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue, and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.

An initial search warrant was executed on May 1, at which time officials seized evidence related to the investigation. Investigators also determined that a “significant number” of animals surrendered to the rescue had not been accounted for.

Investigators search for animal remains while executing a second search warrant at Miranda's Rescue.
Investigators executing a second search warrant at Miranda’s Rescue, where 117 canine remains were found, in Fortuna, Calif. last week.Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A second search warrant, executed Thursday, led to the recovery of the canine remains.

Forensic veterinarians were able to examine 71 of the bodies on-site Thursday but did not have time to reach the remaining 46. A preliminary examination — including X-rays of the remains — found that “many of those animals showed evidence of bullet fragments.”

Investigators are working to identify dogs that were microchipped.

Other remains were found “in advanced stages of decomposition” and were deemed too severely deteriorated to be removed from their burial site, the sheriff’s office said.

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This investigation is expected to be lengthy, the sheriff’s office cautioned in a statement to the public.

“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office understands the public’s desire for accountability and justice,” it said. “However, it is our responsibility to conduct a complete, impartial, and legally sound investigation while ensuring that the constitutional and legal rights of everyone involved are protected throughout the process.”

No charges were announced.

Miranda was not available for comment, but posted a statement on June 18 addressing “recent media coverage and online commentary,” on the rescue’s website. The statement described two incidents that had “drawn particular attention” both involving animals that were killed at the facility.

The first involved a dog that killed another animal and attacked a third; the second involved a dog that lunged at a stroller carrying a baby, according to the statement.

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“These were not decisions made lightly and were based on my responsibility to protect both the public and the animals in our care,” Miranda wrote.

The statement also described Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill shelter, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to free up space, but acknowledged euthanasia is sometimes necessary.

“Whenever euthanasia has been necessary, I have notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required,” Miranda wrote. “I believe it is important to maintain a clear record of these difficult decisions.”



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