NORTH SHORE, Calif. (AP) — A tiny desert community in Southern California reached 108 degrees on Wednesday, tying the highest March temperature ever recorded in the U.S.
It came amid a record-breaking winter heat wave in the Southwest that will stretch into the weekend and could produce even higher temperatures.
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Baseball fans watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game with the heat forcing the game to end early, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
FILE - A man sits under the shade of a tree at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Tang, File)
FILE - Condos and apartments give way to the Phoenix skyline Sept. 24, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
A baseball fan tries to shield from the sun during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Athletics, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The record — first reached by Rio Grande City, Texas in 1954 and now shared by North Shore, California — could be broken in a number of cities and towns by week's end. The aptly named Thermal, California, was forecast to hit 110 degrees on Friday.
Triple-digit temperatures also came earlier than ever before in Phoenix when the Arizona capital hit 101 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was set almost 40 years ago, on March 26, 1988, the only other time Phoenix temperatures have climbed into the hundreds during the month of March, according to the NWS.
Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the NWS, said this has been one of the most significant March heatwaves in recorded history.
“We’ve broken so many records yesterday and even today we’ve broken quite a few so far,” he said.
Several cities on Wednesday experienced their hottest March day in almost 40 years, according to the NWS.
Las Vegas hit 99 degrees, smashing its hottest March day on record, which was 93 degrees in 2022.
Downtown Los Angeles reached 94 degrees, beating its previous daily high of 87 degrees in 1997.
And the desert destination of Palm Springs, California, was 104 degrees, tying its hottest March day on record from 1966.
It will continue to be 20 to 30 degrees above normal March temperatures for the rest of the week in the Southwest before dropping slightly over the weekend. Many other cities in the region are expected to see their earliest 100-plus degree day on record, according to the NWS.
Baseball fans watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game with the heat forcing the game to end early, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
FILE - A man sits under the shade of a tree at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Tang, File)
FILE - Condos and apartments give way to the Phoenix skyline Sept. 24, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
A baseball fan tries to shield from the sun during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Athletics, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sean Walker scored with 28.3 seconds left in overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes beat Pittsburgh 6-5 on Wednesday night, spoiling Sidney Crosby’s return to the Penguins' lineup.
Jackson Blake had a goal and two assists, Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Walker each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Jordan Martinook and K’Andre Miller also scored and Nikolaj Ehlers finished with three assists. Frederik Andersen made 30 saves.
Erik Karlsson had two goals and an assist, Crosby added a goal and an assist, and Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel also scored for Pittsburgh. Stuart Skinner stopped 38 shots in the second matchup in nine nights between the top teams in the Metropolitan Division that went beyond regulation.
Pittsburgh completed a 2-1-2 trip that began with last week’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Eastern Conference- and Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes.
Each team scored twice in the final 7:01 of regulation, beginning with Stankoven’s goal and capped by Miller’s score with 2:51 left. In between, Karlsson and Kindel scored in a 23-second span.
Walker’s goal was his third in an eight-game stretch.
After Stankoven’s goal with 7:01 left gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 lead, Karlsson and Kindel scored 23 seconds apart for the Penguins.
Crosby missed 11 games after suffering a lower-body injury while playing for Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympics. He logged about 18½ minutes in his return, scoring the Penguins’ first goal midway through the second period. It was his 28th of the season.
Karlsson’s tying goal 59 seconds into the third came on a 5-on-3 power play to begin a period that included seven total goals.
Martinook’s short-handed goal was the only scoring in the first period.
Penguins: Host Winnipeg on Saturday.
Hurricanes: At Toronto on Friday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17) looses control of the puck as he collides with Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) beats Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) but misses the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) comes to congratulate teammate Erik Karlsson, left, on his goal with Rickard Rakell, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker, center, celebrates his game winning overtime goal with teammates Sebastian Aho (20) and Seth Jarvis (24) at an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) controls the puck in front of Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell (67) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates his goal along the bench during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen (31) makes a save against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL game, in Edmonton on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
