All signs continue to point to an exceptional, long-duration, and record-breaking to (in some cases) record-shattering March heatwave initially centered across U.S. Southwest but expanding to much broader region next week. This is effectively a full-on summer heatwave in March.
The broader points I emphasized earlier this week during my (recorded) livestream are all still relevant. All-time March heat records will be smashed and mountain snowpack will be decimated, with implications for long-term wildfire risk & water supply.
https://www.youtube.com/live/Kww_WjCG-HI
Early signs of historic March heatwave for the Southwestern U.S.? (Not what we need...)
Similarly, my Weather West post from earlier is also still on track. This will be a "double peaked" heat event, with "lesser" peak centered over Southern California today before a minor pullback this weekend. Then, next week, the main event begins...
https://weatherwest.com/archives/43745
Extraordinary and prolonged March heatwave to break records and decimate mountain snowpack across U.S. Southwest, including much of California - Weather West
March 11, 2026 - Daniel Swain - "Winter" 2025-2026 warmest on record across most of Western U.S., including SoCal & Sierra Nevada Well, now it's official: Winter (Dec-Feb) 2025-2026 was the warmest on record across the majority of the American West, and a top-3 warmest winter nearly everywhere that it didn't quite cinch the record. That includes nearly all of the Colorado #
@violetmadder @weatherwest
Hah. And we thought it would be the water wars - no, it will be starvation as every crop from Senoma to St. Louis fails.
Yay.
Daniel Swain
Violet Madder
Third spruce tree on the left