ST. GEORGE, Utah — There’s something a little off in St. George in March. The temperature.
According to the Utah Weather Authority, temperatures were expected to reach 92 degrees in town by late Wednesday, which would be a record for the month, breaking the 91-degree mark set in 2004.
But for residents like Linda Deborb, the heat is no sweat.
"This is unusual for this time of year, but don’t we love it!" she said.
In the 120 years of National Weather Service record-keeping, St. George had never hit above the 90s from the start of the year through March 20. That was, until Wednesday, and it’s about 30 degrees above normal.
There were those finding shade any way they could, like Ivins Vista School crossing guard Jared Gifford.
"It’s definitely not supposed to be this hot," said Gifford. "This is like what you would get in May."
'The new normal? Is not normal.' Utah's water situation is looking bleak:
A spokesman for the City of St. George said the unusual heat is not expected to result in a yellow or red alert for residents to conserve power. The city’s power manager has told FOX 13 News in the past that it would take higher, sustained triple-digit heat to bring the local grid down.
Unlike other areas, St. George is at its hottest around 5 p.m., climate experts say; that’s because the red sandstone canyon walls combine with the city's concrete and asphalt to create a heat bowl effect. The "Feels Like July" temperatures in March are expected to get even hotter as the weekend draws closer, with thermometers flirting with the triple-digits on Friday.
At the new city hall, construction workers were out putting the finishing touches on an outdoor arts plaza. Worker Rodney James said he and his colleagues usually try to beat the heat in May by switching to an earlier 4 a.m. start time, when it usually gets hotter. But he noted that yes, it's March.
As hard as it may be to believe in the city on Wednesday, it was five years ago this week when another rare weather phenomenon took place: Two straight days of snow.
For Deborb, there are no complaints about the blizzard of heat.
"It's bad for some planting," she said, "but other than gardening, I cannot think of anything wrong."
