Heat Wave Expands Out West While Freeze Lingers in East, Deep South

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said record high and record low temperatures could be recorded across the country this week.
Heat Wave Expands Out West While Freeze Lingers in East, Deep South
A National Weather Service graphic indicates locations predicted to have record-high temperatures on March 18, 2026. Screenshot/National Weather Service
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Record high temperatures are popping up across the Southwest this week, as an early heat wave grows and expands eastward.

The weather prediction center warned on March 17 that temperatures from the Southern California coast across parts of Arizona would exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit over the coming days. Heat advisories have been issued for a majority of the California coastline from the Mexico Border to north of the San Francisco Bay area, with extreme heat warnings in effect inland from Palm Springs and Barstow to Las Vegas and Death Valley, and across the southern half of Arizona to the New Mexico border.

T.J. Muscaro
T.J. Muscaro
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Based out of Tampa, Florida, TJ primarily covers weather and national politics.