Record-shattering March scorcher: 70 million to bake in summerlike #HeatDome into weekend

Record-challenging heat will surge across the Southwest this week as a stubborn heat dome sends temperatures into the 90s and even past 100 degrees in some cities, levels more typical of late spring or early summer.

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Mar 16, 2026 2:39 PM EDT | Updated Mar 16, 2026 3:55 PM EDT

" Much of the Southwest will jump from springlike conditions to summerlike heat this week, with temperatures climbing well into the 90s in many areas and even topping 100 degrees in some locations which are more typical of early summer. The heat dome will have staying power and may not begin to weaken until this weekend to early next week.

A burst of summerlike heat will build across the Southwest this week, pushing temperatures in many areas into the 90s and some past 100 degrees. Monthly records may be challenged, and the heat could hold into the weekend or early next week"

Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/record-shattering-march-scorcher-70-million-to-bake-in-summerlike-heat-dome-into-weekend/1873771

#USWx #SouthwestWx #ClimateChange #RecordHeat #MarchHeatWave #HeatWave #LosAngeles #LasVegas #PhoenixAZ #PalmSpringsCA #ClimateChangeIsReal

Nine states had their warmest winter ever recorded

In addition to a lack of snowfall compared to the historical average, these nine states had their warmest year on record.

By Jesse Ferrell, Mar 11, 2026

"Winter barely showed up the way it usually does for millions of people from #Oregon to #Texas. Nine states logged their warmest meteorological winter on record, defined as Dec. 1 through the end of February. These dates are agreed upon by meteorologists for record-keeping and comparison purposes, but the historical average dates of the lowest temperatures varies from city to city.

"NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, which has records back to 1895, said this winter was the warmest in Oregon, #Nevada, #Arizona, #Utah, #Wyoming, #Colorado, #NewMexico, Texas and #Oklahoma."

Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/nine-states-had-their-warmest-winter-ever-recorded/1871239

#USWx #ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #ClimateChangeIsReal #ClimateDiary

Summerlike heat dome to send #Southwest temperatures soaring past 100 F

A strengthening #HeatDome will send temperatures soaring into the 90s and past 100 degrees across the Southwest, threatening records, accelerating snowmelt and raising #wildfire risk now, then #WaterSupply concerns later.

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 13, 2026

"Temperatures will climb well into the 90s, with some areas forecast to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit through next week. While those numbers may not seem extreme for the southwestern United States, they are running one to two months ahead of historical averages and could have implications for wildfire risk and water supplies across the interior Southwest later this year.

"A persistent area of high pressure at multiple levels of the atmosphere, known as a heat dome, will intensify in the coming days and may be slow to break down."

Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/summerlike-heat-dome-to-send-southwest-temperatures-soaring-past-100-f/1872946

#USWx #ExtremeTemperatures #HeatWave #RecordHeat #ClimateChange #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel

Spin the #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel and see where it lands!

US weather to go nuts with blizzard, polar vortex, heat dome, atmospheric river all at once

By SETH BORENSTEIN
Updated 12:03 AM EDT, March 13, 2026

"Nearly every part of the United States is getting walloped by wild weather or just about to be.

"Days of downpours have begun in #Hawaii. The #Southwest will soon bake with day after day of record 100-degree-plus (38 Celsius-plus) #heat. Two storms will dump snow by the foot over northern #GreatLakes states. And the dreaded #PolarVortex will again invade the Midwest and East with soul-crushing #ArcticChill.

"This forecast of extremes comes as weather whiplash already hit much of the East. On Wednesday, Washington, D.C. residents walked around in shorts in record-breaking 86 degrees Fahrenheit (about 30 Celsius). On Thursday, it snowed.

" 'All of the country, even if you’re not necessarily seeing extremes, are going to see generally changing from cold to warm, or warm to cold to warm,' said meteorologist Marc Chenard of the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

"Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue said he expects extreme weather in all 50 states."

Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/heat-dome-snow-blizzard-cold-polar-flooding-55e3baf6877e81ee1961aade3cb361c3

#ExtremeWeather #USWeather #USWx #TemperatureSwings #RecordHeat #Blizzards #ClimateChange #ClimateChangeIsReal
#ThanksExxon! #BigOilAndGas #Oiligarchy

I cannot stress this enough. It is too warm and too humid in too many areas of the U.S. Severe weather is expected on March 10th and 11th. But this goes for all of Spring:

Central Plains: You know what to do, but that can be dangerous, too. Don't get complacent. I know the watches and warnings are often false alarms and you have stuff to do. I get it. Just be as aware as you can.

Southern states: Watching the tornado from your front porch is not a sport. Find a different hobby. Please. We just want you to be safe.

Northern states: You saw what happened in Michigan. It's hard to say which states are exempt from tornadoes anymore. Think about a safe place for you, your family, and your pets, just in case.

Recently I learned that if you have a storm shelter, especially separate from your home, you can register its location with authorities.

#US #USWx #SevereStorms

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/03/09/tornadoes-storms-central-us-forecast/89064227007/

Research shows 41 US states are getting warmer, all in slightly different ways
https://phys.org/news/2026-02-states-warmer-slightly-ways.html

(Fascinating study! States are warming differently depending on their region - some states are warming in their cold and warm days while others are just warming in one extreme)
#ClimateChange #Climate #USwx

Deadly #Colorado, #Kansas pileups, fast-moving Plains #wildfires fueled by #DangerousWinds

#BlowingDust created near-zero visibility on I-25 near Pueblo, killing 4 people, while the same powerful #windstorm fueled fast-moving wildfires and triggered additional crashes across the Plains.

By Emilee Speck, AccuWeather staff writer & Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Feb 17, 2026

"Powerful winds kicking up dust across the Plains contributed to multiple fatal crashes and sparked rapidly spreading wildfires on Tuesday as dry grasses fueled fast-moving flames.

"Heavy winds created dangerous 'brown out' conditions along Interstate 25 near Pueblo, Colorado, on the morning of Feb. 17, with a massive multi-vehicle crash happening amid low to near-zero visibility. The Colorado State Patrol responded around 10:02 a.m. MST to the crash on southbound I-25 at milepost 92, just south of Pueblo Boulevard. Preliminary findings indicate more than 30 vehicles were involved, including six semis.

"Authorities have confirmed four fatalities, and 29 people were transported to hospitals, though the extent of their injuries remains unknown."

[...]

"[W]est of Oakley, #Kansas, another multi-vehicle pileup occurred on I-70 during low visibility caused by blowing dust, underscoring the widespread travel hazards created by the powerful windstorm. Winds in the area were gusting around 60 mph at the time the crash was reported.

"In #Oklahoma, a fast-growing wildfire in the Oklahoma panhandle, east of Beaver, quickly spread into Kansas."

Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-colorado-kansas-pileups-fast-moving-plains-wildfires-fueled-by-dangerous-winds/1864790

#USWx #ExtremeWx #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Duststorms #ExtremeWeather #ClimateChangeIsReal #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel

Ruh-roh. Sounds like more #Temperature #RollerCoasters are in the works... Freezing one day, boiling the next. Not good...

Meteorologist warns 'highly unusual' US winter pattern shift is coming

Story by Everett Sloane, 2/5/2026

"A sharp, late-season flip in the jet stream is setting up a winter pattern that looks very different from the one that opened the year, and forecasters say it is not business as usual. A leading Meteorologist has described the looming shift as 'highly unusual,' warning that a distorted #PolarVortex and a recharged storm track could rearrange who gets buried in snow and who finally thaws out. The stakes range from #water supplies in the mountains of the western United States to #EnergyDemand and even #wildlife stress in places that are not built for #ArcticAir.

"The core of the coming change is a dramatic reconfiguration of the polar vortex and the jet stream that steers storms across North America. Instead of a simple, locked-in cold pool over the eastern half of the country, forecasters describe a stretched and wobbling circulation that can send frigid air plunging south while allowing pockets of warmth to surge north. One Meteorologist has framed the setup as 'Highly unusual,' noting that winter weather across the United States is about to change in a big way as the upper-level flow reorganizes over the central and eastern states, a shift detailed in a recent analysis. Instead of the gradual, predictable evolution that textbooks once suggested, the atmosphere is pivoting quickly, with cold and warmth trading places in a matter of days."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/meteorologist-warns-highly-unusual-us-winter-pattern-shift-is-coming/

#ExtremeTemperatures #UnpredictableWeather #USWeather #USWx #ClimateChange #ExtremeCold #WeatherWhiplash #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel