On Friday, March 20, 2026, many cities experienced temperatures typical of late May or early June. In desert areas of Arizona, the air warmed to 43.3 °C (110 °F), the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States in March. This is about 20-30 °F (10-17 °C) above the long-term normal for this time of year. Temperatures in Phoenix exceeded 40 °C (110 °F) and Los Angeles reached almost 35 °C (110 °F), which is sharply above the previous March values, AP News states.
Such anomalies cause not only an unusual feeling of summer in the middle of spring – they are already affecting human life and ecosystems. The National Meteorological Service warns of the risk of heatstroke, the closure of hiking trails in national parks and additional pressure on health systems, as extreme temperatures come a month and a half earlier than the typical heat season, writes The Guardian.
Risks and secondary effects
Scientists are increasingly linking extreme heat spikes to global climate change. A rapid analysis by the international group World Weather Attribution says such a massive March heatwave would be “virtually impossible without the influence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions” – and that climate change makes such events at least four times more likely than in the past decade.
Experts also warn of secondary effects: accelerated snowmelt in the mountains, increased drought in already dry regions, and an increased risk of wildfires, which together could cause significant damage to agriculture, water resources, and West Coast biodiversity.
Climatologists note that such events are no longer rare, but part of a new weather normal, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and intense. They call for urgent strengthening of adaptation measures and emissions reductions to reduce risks to human health and ecosystem resilience.
