Temperatures are climbing far above normal for March, as much as 25 to 30 degrees higher than usual, and could break daily records.
This heat even has the potential to set the record for the earliest 80-degree day in Salt Lake City’s history. St. George may also see its earliest 90-degree day ever.
A large area of high pressure, more common in summer than spring, is parked over the Desert Southwest and will stay put through the middle of the week.
On Monday, highs were already 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average, with southern Utah seeing the biggest jump.
The heat wave is expected to ease slightly over the weekend, but temperatures will still be 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Dry skies are forecast to continue into next week and possibly beyond.
