Overview
- Temperatures reached 44.4 C at four desert sites near the California–Arizona border, with 43.3 C logged at Martinez Lake, Arizona, marking a U.S. March benchmark reported by forecasters.
- The National Weather Service reported the hot air mass shifting east on Saturday, with new March records set in Kansas City at 33.3 C, Topeka at 35 C, North Platte at 33.3 C, Denver at 30 C, Cheyenne at 28.3 C, and Midland, Texas, at 37 C.
- Roughly 65 cities across the West and interior West recorded new March highs, including 40 C in Death Valley and 29 C in San Francisco.
- Officials warned of sustained heat through the weekend, unusually warm nights, heightened wildfire danger, and public-health measures such as trail closures and hydration guidance in affected areas.
- In a separate hazard, Honolulu authorities ordered about 5,500 people near Oahu’s Wahiawa reservoir to evacuate because of dam-failure concerns following heavy rain, with additional rainfall expected.