Late-March Heat Wave Shatters Records Across the West

Record Heat Across the West

Before turning to the local forecast, it is worth looking back at the record-breaking heat wave that spread across the western and central United States during the second half of March. Remarkable warmth extended eastward from Southern California to the Mississippi River basin, breaking hundreds of daily and monthly temperature records and helping fuel several large wildfires in parts of the Great Plains.

The unusual early-season heat was driven by a sprawling, summerlike upper-level ridge that settled over the Southwest just after mid-month and held in place for 7 to 10 days. Beneath that ridge, surface temperatures soared, with many areas recording daytime highs about 20 degrees Fahrenheit above average for the date for a full week.

Records were not merely broken but shattered. Before this heat wave, Phoenix had reached or exceeded 100 degrees in March only once, when it hit 100 on March 26, 1988. In March 2026, temperatures there reached 100 or higher on eight consecutive days, topping out at 105 degrees on three straight afternoons. The city’s average high for the month was 93 degrees, 15 degrees above the long-term March average of 78 degrees. As the article notes, this is climate change observed in real time.

Outer Cape Stayed Chilly

While much of the country experienced a notably warm March, conditions on the Outer Cape were much more typical for the season. Winds blowing over the ocean, combined with several shots of cold air from Canada, made for a chilly month, with average temperatures ending up slightly below normal.

That cold pattern was punctuated by one final burst of Arctic air last weekend. In Provincetown, temperatures on Saturday reached only 35 degrees, with passing flurries. As winds relaxed Saturday night, temperatures dropped into the middle 20s across the Outer Cape.

Milder Weekend Ahead

The good news is that March is over, and milder weather appears to be on the way. After a gray and chilly Thursday, winds are expected to turn to the southwest on Friday and continue through the weekend.

That southwest flow should draw milder air from the mid-Atlantic and Ohio River basin into the region, bringing daytime temperatures into the 50s over the weekend. If conditions hold, the weekend should also remain dry, with a cold front and its associated wet weather likely holding off until Sunday night or Monday.