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Extreme heat: Phoenix temperatures expected to shatter records
While March is usually an attractive time of year in Phoenix, an incoming historic heatwave is shaking up the Valley. FOX 10'S Ashlie Rodriguez has more on this record heat, while the eastern part of the U.S. gets slammed with blizzard and icy conditions.
PHOENIX - The way this March is going, it will likely be the hottest March on record in the state of Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. This heat wave is driven by a high-pressure weather pattern coming off the coast of California.
Local perspective:
March is usually an attractive time of year in Phoenix, when tourists visit for spring training or spring break, and locals plan for festivals and outdoor concerts. But instead of a slow progression into summer temperatures, the area is getting slammed with a triple-digit heat wave when people least expect it.
Just before noon on March 16, months before the summer heat is supposed to start, three hikers had to be rescued off Camelback Mountain. One woman told authorities that about a third of the way up, she got dizzy and could not make it down.
"We’re going to be in the 100s, mid-100s, 105 this weekend," said Todd Keller of the Phoenix Fire Department.
"This high pressure we are seeing off the coast of California, it’s going to move directly over us and is expected to strengthen into levels that rival even record levels for the summer," said Sean Benedict of the National Weather Service Phoenix.
What they're saying:
Tourists from Cincinnati who came to watch spring training were blasted by 90-degree weather when they stepped out of Sky Harbor International Airport.
"Already had the hotel and reservations and had to come, would have rather been here last week," one tourist said. "Triple digits in March is pretty unusual. I don’t remember seeing that before."
The other side:
But the low-pressure weather system they are leaving behind isn’t any better.
"Warm, but I could be shoveling four inches of snow, so I’m good," another traveler said.
There are blizzard conditions and ice storm warnings sweeping across parts of the Midwest. Heavy rain, strong winds, and even the threat of tornadoes are impacting the Northeast.
"Don’t go outside with wet hair," one person joked. "Because if you go like this… it will just break off."
Dig deeper:
Arizonans may not have to wrap up and bunker down in a blizzard, but they can still feel the heat, with many saying it's too early for these temperatures
"It’s way too hot for March," one local said. While another added, "Arizonans, we don’t go out until the sun comes down. Once the sun is gone, we go out and we play. During the day, we let the devil have his playground. Because that’s what it feels like. Hell."
What's next:
The National Weather Service says the mornings will still be nice, but it’s going to heat up very rapidly, moving from the 70s to 90s by late morning. Once the days become longer, experts say this is expected to be an above-average summer with a fair share of extreme heat events.
The Source: National Weather Service and the Phoenix Fire Department