By Emily Mae Czachor, News Editor
Updated March 25, 2026 / 11:20 PM EDT / CBS News
A heat wave that gripped the Western U.S. last week pushed east on Wednesday, producing a string of daily high-temperature records across more than a dozen states, the National Weather Service reported. Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming were among the areas affected, with many major cities topping 90 degrees.
In Colorado, Denver recorded 88 degrees at Denver International Airport — its warmest March day on record; the previous mark of 86 had been set just four days earlier. Phoenix hit 100 degrees Wednesday, establishing a new daily high, and also posted a record-warm overnight low of 68 (up from the prior low of 66). Other communities logging new daily highs included Yuma, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Rawlins and Pocatello. Salt Lake City reached 83 degrees, eclipsing the old high of 78. Tucson’s run of seven consecutive days tying or breaking its daily maximum record ended when the city reached 95 degrees, one degree below the record.
CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said the pattern is expected to continue, with more than 200 additional daily temperature records possible through Sunday as the heat slowly shifts east. Forecasters expect the warmth to reach the East Coast by Friday.
Temperatures in the central U.S. are forecast to run roughly 30 to 40 degrees above normal for this time of year, increasing concerns beyond just heat. Nolan warned that warming across the Northern Plains will elevate wildfire risk through Thursday. A wide swath of the central country, from Montana down to Texas, was under fire-weather alerts Wednesday, and forecasters issued a “critical threat” designation for fire weather in parts of the Rocky Mountains through the Southern Plains.
Blustery conditions will accompany the warmth in some areas, with gusts up to 40–50 mph and relative humidity falling as low as about 4 percent in spots — a combination that can promote rapid fire growth.
Nikki Nolan contributed to this report.