Record March Heatwave: US & Mexico Shatter Climate Records
Record-shattering heat gripped large swaths of the United States and northern Mexico over the past week, with hundreds of cities experiencing their hottest March temperatures on record and, in some cases, temperatures previously unseen until May. The unprecedented warmth, which peaked Friday and Saturday, has been directly linked to human-caused climate change, according to multiple analyses.
On Friday, Buttercup and Squaw Lake, California, both reached 112°F, smashing the U.S. National heat record for March. This reading was just one degree Fahrenheit shy of the nation’s all-time April heat record of 113°F, set in Death Valley, California, in both 1946 and 2012. The heat extended far beyond California, impacting areas from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River.
Thursday, March 19, was particularly remarkable, with nearly half of the 900-plus long-term U.S. Weather stations in the Global Historical Climatological Network setting daily record highs. NOAA’s U.S. Records website documented 418 daily records broken and 21 tied, along with 127 monthly records broken and 68 tied, all west of the Rockies. The intensity continued through the weekend, spreading the heat wave across a wider geographic area.
According to weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera, at least 14 states set all-time statewide records for March heat between Thursday and Saturday. These included Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
The extreme heat has had a significant impact on snowpack across the western U.S., which was already below average for mid-March. The lack of snow is raising concerns about water resources as the spring thaw approaches. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service reports that Colorado snowpack is currently at 40% of the median for the date, the lowest value in 41 years of recordkeeping.
The forecast calls for continued warmth, though the pattern is shifting slightly. While the upper-level high responsible for the initial heat wave is weakening, the jet stream will remain conducive to above-average temperatures. The Southwest is expected to remain exceptionally hot, and the strong zonal flow will push warm air downslope from the southern Rockies into the Plains and Mississippi Valley.
Several cities are poised to potentially break or tie all-time March records this week, including Las Vegas, Nevada (current record 97°F, forecast high 98°F); Albuquerque, New Mexico (current record 91°F, forecast high 94°F); Denver, Colorado (current record 84°F, forecast high 90°F); Lubbock, Texas (current record 98°F, forecast high 100°F); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (current record 97°F, forecast high 97°F); and Memphis, Tennessee (current record 97°F, forecast high 97°F).
NOAA predicts a considerable expansion of drought conditions over the western U.S. Due to the record heat and lack of precipitation this month. The agency’s latest drought outlook indicates that existing drought areas will likely persist and expand, with new areas developing in currently drought-free regions.
Mexico is also experiencing the effects of the warming trend. According to a 2026 report from Climate Action Tracker, Mexico has a “highly insufficient” rating for its policies and actions against modeled domestic pathways to limit warming to below 4°C. While Mexico has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030, with a potential increase to 40% with external support, and aims for net zero by 2050, the country remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels. In 2023, Mexico was among the top 15 highest greenhouse gas emitters, contributing 1.4% of the global total.
The updated National Climate Change Strategy, released in May 2025, emphasizes adaptation and mitigation measures across various sectors, but the country faces a crossroads, according to Climate Action Tracker. The administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum needs to prioritize a transition to renewable energy and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels to avoid a costly carbon lock-in.