California is about to get an early taste of summer — as a brutal early-season hate wave is set to envelope the Golden state.
Forecasters are warning temperatures could soar 20 to 30 degrees above normal and shatter records across Southern California.
The National Weather Service says daily temperature records will likely be shattered this week, and some cities may even challenge all-time March highs as a massive dome of high pressure parks itself over the western United States.
The first blast of heat is already being felt on the West Coast Thursday before it spreads inland through California and neighboring states. A second — and potentially stronger — surge could arrive Monday, moving temperatures even higher and stretching the scorching conditions well into next week.
In California, the numbers are eye-popping. Temperatures in Los Angeles could climb past 100 degrees, while the San Francisco Bay Area may see readings approach 90 degrees — summer-like heat months ahead of schedule.
By Tuesday, roughly 26 million people across the West could be under moderate heat risk, according to federal forecasters, with some communities facing extreme heat levels and little relief even overnight.
Experts warn the timing makes the heat especially dangerous.
“This time of year, the body isn’t used to dealing with this level of heat,” meteorologists from the National Weather Service warned in a social media post. “These highs are more impactful now than they would be in July.”
Climate scientist Daniel Swain said the ridge of high pressure driving the event could become one of the strongest ever observed in the Southwest during March — and may keep rebuilding, extending the heat for a week or more.
The early scorcher is also raising alarm bells for California’s water supply.
After an unusually warm winter, mountain snowpack — a crucial source of water for the state — is already thin. Prolonged heat could accelerate snowmelt and deepen drought concerns across the region, while drying landscapes and increasing wildfire risk months before peak fire season.
If forecasts hold, the West could see seven to ten straight days of record-challenging temperatures — turning what should be the start of spring into something that feels a lot more like mid-July.