MARTINEZ LAKE, AZ (AZFamily/AP) — A desert community in southwestern Arizona recorded a scorching 110 degrees on Thursday, establishing a new national record for the highest March temperature ever documented in the United States.
The National Weather Service confirmed this record heat was measured just outside Martinez Lake in the Yuma Desert, as an unusual spring heat wave gripped the Southwest. The community is situated approximately 20 miles north of Yuma, near the Arizona-California border.
The previous national March record of 108 degrees was set in Rio Grande City, Texas, in 1954, and was matched on Wednesday by the small desert community of North Shore, California.
This week’s intense heat has shattered records in numerous cities across the region, including Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
Phoenix experienced its earliest-ever 105-degree day on Thursday, and temperatures are predicted to potentially climb to 106 degrees. If this occurs, it would mark the first time Phoenix has ever reached 106 in either March or April.
In northern Arizona, Flagstaff also registered 84 degrees, signaling the first instance the city has reached temperatures in the 80s during March.
First Alert Weather Days remain active through Sunday, coupled with an Extreme Heat Warning for areas below 4,000 feet. This advisory covers southern Arizona, the Valley, and the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon. It is crucial to stay hydrated and restrict prolonged outdoor activity, especially between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
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