By Emily Mae Czachor, News Editor
Updated March 25, 2026 / 11:20 PM EDT / CBS News
Temperatures reached record highs in multiple states on Wednesday as a heat wave that has scorched the West since last week expanded into the middle of the country. The National Weather Service reported numerous daily records tied or broken across the western half of the U.S., and warmer conditions are expected as the wave moves east.
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming were among the states affected, with highs of 90 degrees or higher in many major cities.
Denver hit 88 degrees at Denver International Airport, its warmest March day on record (the previous record was 86 degrees set four days earlier). Phoenix reached 100 degrees Wednesday, a daily record, and also recorded a record warm low of 68 degrees (previously 66). Other cities that broke daily records included Yuma, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Rawlins and Pocatello. Salt Lake City recorded 83 degrees, surpassing the old record of 78. Tucson’s seven-day streak of tying or breaking daily maximum records ended Wednesday when it reached 95 degrees, one degree shy of the record.
CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said more than 200 additional daily temperature records could be broken through Sunday. The heat wave is forecast to slowly move eastward this week and is expected to reach the East Coast by Friday.
Central states are likely to see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees above average for the time being. Nolan warned that warmth settling into the Northern Plains will increase fire risks through Thursday. Numerous fire-weather alerts were in effect Wednesday for a large strip of the central U.S., from Montana to Texas, and forecasters warned of a “critical threat” of fire weather through Thursday for sections of the Rocky Mountains down to the Southern Plains. In addition to the heat, wind gusts in those areas could reach 40 to 50 mph while relative humidity may drop to as low as 4% in some places — conditions that can be conducive to wildfires.
Nikki Nolan contributed to this report.