3/15/26: Unprecedented heat Wave for Phoenix and the desert Southwest, as a historic snow storm falls in Wisconsin. Tail end to impact Chica

Good afternoon, it is Sunday, March 15th.

This is your weather enthusiast, some cool afternoon.

You're listening to weather with enthusiasm.

We have some phenomenal stuff going on on the weather map

for today this week and for next week.

The highlight for many people might be the blizzard

that's happening in the upper Midwest.

But let's go now to the desert Southwest

because we have something totally remarkable developing

over there.

This is totally mind-boggling.

And if it doesn't register how mind-boggling it is,

it's perhaps because you're not familiar with records

in that part of our country and not familiar with how high

temperatures normally get this time of the year

for the desert Southwest.

We have an extreme heat watch that's

issued by the National Weather Services

includes a large part of the desert Southwest,

including the entire Phoenix metro area,

Yuma, Death Valley, California, many other locations as well.

Temperatures are going to be well above normal

with record-breaking heat expected by Tuesday.

But then it goes up to a whole new Madrega, a whole new level.

When we get past Tuesday, we're going

to be flirting with something which is

once in a lifetime, air mass, really,

this to be occurring in the month of March.

This is similar to what Chicago went through back

in March of 2012, where records were not just broken,

but they were shattered by 10 degrees.

We had a 10-day heat wave here in March in Chicago back in 2012.

We're looking at something similar for the desert Southwest

as we go through this week, Wednesday onwards.

It's not just the surface temperatures,

but National Weather Service tells us

records will be broken at multiple layers in the atmosphere

at levels that are just totally unprecedented.

Temperatures normal high for this time of the year

ranges from 77 to 81 degrees for a place like Phoenix, Arizona.

Their earliest, the temperature has ever hit 100 degrees

in Phoenix, Arizona is March 26th.

All that is almost for sure.

The National Weather Service is taking

it almost as a fact, really, that all of this

is going to be broken big time this upcoming week.

Temperatures are bound to hit 100 degrees midweek, at least.

And then we go well beyond that.

Temperatures soaring to 105, we might even be hitting 110 degrees,

110 degrees in Phoenix, Arizona this upcoming weekend.

That's like totally mind-boggling.

This is stuff that even if it would be occurring in July,

we would be looking at excessive heat warning criteria.

Temperatures by this upcoming Saturday,

the official forecast for Friday for the Phoenix, Arizona area

from the National Weather Service is forecasting

a high of 107 degrees temperatures in the mid to upper hundreds

continue winds for Saturday, zero miles per hour

tells us the national weather service, zero to five miles per hour

will be those winds actually throughout the period.

Starting even Wednesday, starting even Tuesday,

winds of zero to five miles per hour just continuous.

That's what we have for starting already tomorrow, actually.

Temperatures going into the low 90s, temperatures then going

into the upper 90s by Tuesday, low hundreds by Wednesday,

and then we go beyond that.

The high pressure decimeter level is also record breaking,

not just temperatures, but even the ridge.

The ridge itself, you know, in the beginning of the week,

we have the ridge 588 to 590 decimeter.

This is heat wave, heat dome criteria, very much so,

regardless of the time of year that it's occurring.

But then the models take this to a whole new level again,

going up to into the mid 590s.

That's the decimeter level by the mid to latter part of the week.

The record decimeter heights for this part of our country in March

and even April are not even on that level.

Even in April, we don't get levels that high 594 to 596 decimeter.

Heat dome is what's expected to develop later this week in Phoenix,

Arizona.

And again, it's not just Phoenix.

We have an excessive heat watch, which is an effect for the northwest

valley of the Phoenix metro area.

This is actually something right now.

I'm just going to read it from the National Weather Service,

the actual excessive heat watch that's been issued.

And this is an effect from March 15th from 124 p.m.

This good mountain standard time, it goes into effect.

Interesting.

It says standard time, mountain standard time.

Why not daylight time?

I don't know.

But it goes into March 22nd, 8 o'clock p.m. mountain standard time

by the National Weather Service for the Northwest Valley

of the Phoenix metro area, the East Valley of the Phoenix metro

area, Buckeye, Avondale, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix North

Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, South

Mountain, Awa Tukki.

I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing that right.

The South Mountain and South East Valley and Queen Creek,

there's probably other areas as well.

This is from Thursday morning through Sunday evening.

So it was issued today, but it goes into effect Thursday

morning through Sunday evening.

Heat related illnesses increasingly

during extreme heat events, afternoon

high temperatures between 103 and 108 degrees

is what is forecasted.

So the National Weather Service tells us

to take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside.

When possible, we schedule strenuous activities

to early morning or evening and know the signs and symptoms

of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

We're lightweight and loose fitting clothing

when possible and drink plenty of water.

To reduce the risk during outdoor work,

the occupational safety and health administration

recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks

since shaded or air-conditioned environments.

Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded

location, heat stroke is an emergency call 911.

This is not the only area where there's an excessive heat

watch.

If you look at the zone area forecast

for central Phoenix, Arizona, high temperatures on Friday,

forecasted between 103 to 109 degrees.

And for Saturday highs from 102 to 108 degrees,

something just super impressive stuff.

We go over here too.

This is the Las Vegas Nevada National Weather Service.

We're also seeing a lake wind advisory.

In fact, we also have a lake that developed over in that valley

over the winter.

That's probably going to evaporate for this upcoming week.

And we have the extreme heat, which

goes in effect, this is Wednesday through Friday.

The Las Vegas Nevada National Weather Service

has a whole list of cities, such as Needles, California,

highs on Tuesday, 99, Wednesday, 102, Thursday, 105,

and 106 by Friday.

And we have the Cottonwood Cove 109 degrees

for this upcoming Friday.

It's just very hot temperatures.

Las Vegas highs 91, Tuesday, 94, Wednesday, 97, Thursday,

and 98 Friday.

So it's not the real intense stuff remains

really down.

Death Valley, Colorado River Valley,

and portions of the San Bernardino County.

That's Wednesday through Friday, then Thursday and Friday.

We have an excessive heat watch for Las Vegas Valley,

Southern Clark County, and Southern Mohave County.

We also have an extreme heat warning,

which has been issued by the Los Angeles National Weather

Service.

This is for a portion of Southwest California.

And we also have the heat advisory,

in effect 10 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Pacific Day

Light Time on Tuesday.

The excessive heat warning is in effect 10 a.m.

Tuesday to 8 p.m. Pacific Day Light Time Friday.

The heat advisory temperatures between 90 and 98 degrees

is expected for the extreme heat warning.

Dangerously hot conditions tells us

the Los Angeles National Weather Service

with temperatures between 96 and 104 degrees.

This is a high risk for dangerous heat illness for anyone,

especially for the very young, very old, and those

without air conditioning and those active outdoors.

We're lightweight and loose fitting clothing,

try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening,

and take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion

and heat stroke, drink plenty of fluids.

Stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Those are some of the things that the National Weather

Service is telling us.

So this is something very intense.

We also have the intense heat headed

into the Denver, Colorado area as well.

Okay, so that's with the heat,

but we also have a just totally remarkable blizzard happening

up in the Wisconsin area where the National Weather Service

as of this morning was telling us clear cut

to expect two to four inches of snow per hour.

And this was the Green Bay, Wisconsin National Weather Service

that included cities like Wild Rose, Wisconsin,

Ashkash, Wisconsin.

Different forecasts are available,

ranging from some of the forecasts that are calling,

the National Weather Service as a 60 to 90% chance

for some of those locations getting 30 inches of snow or more.

But after everything is compact,

there might not be actually 30 inches on the ground from this.

But in other locations, this snow is occurring

after there already has been 50 inches of snow on the ground.

Very intense stuff occurring over there.

This is a bomb cyclone.

Chicago gets in on the tail end of the system.

We could see snow by overnight,

especially towards sunrise and with strong winds as well,

greatly reducing the visibility here in the Chicago area.

Different forecasts are available for the Chicago region.

We have anywhere from one to four inches.

There's probably a chance as well

that we could be getting more than four inches.

There's a possibility for that,

especially according to the North American Meso skill model.

But the visibility is going to be the,

probably the most significant danger here in the Chicago area.

This is up from a bomb cyclone,

where the, the barometric pressure here in Chicago

has been dropping at a phenomenal pace,

even a spectacular base.

Very intense stuff here,

the barometric pressure yesterday of 30.12

for many, many hours.

And then this morning already we were down to 29.4.

Currently we're down to 29.2 at O'Hare Airport.

We have unseasonably warm temperatures today,

ahead of this powerhouse storm system

that will be moving right through the region.

Also to our south, we have a tornado watch,

which is an effect for portions of Illinois.

And there's some major stuff going on down there.

A lot of severe weather action going on

for southern portions of the Midwest.

Along with the plains.

And for the, any area northwest of Interstate 55.

The national weather service is telling us

that near blizzard conditions are possible

across northwestern Illinois,

where a winter storm warning has been issued.

A winter weather advisory is also an effect for areas

nearly as far southeast as the I-55 corridor

late tonight through Monday morning.

This is wind whipped snow showers may develop

across the area Monday afternoon as well,

leading to locally hazardous travel conditions.

And temperatures, winchers are expected to go

to five to 10 below zero.

And some portions of Illinois,

especially Tuesday morning and then a clipper system,

brings a period of snow to the area Tuesday night

into Wednesday.

This is a very dynamic early spring season storm system,

which is shifting into the western Illinois this afternoon,

deepening to your 980 MB late tonight into Monday

as it moves northward across lower Michigan.

And we have all types of hazards for Chicago

around the showers and thunderstorms this afternoon

through early evening.

That will be in advance of the approaching

powerhouse cold front associated with the powerhouse storm.

Some of these storms could be severe

with damaging winds and excess of 60 miles per hour

tells us the national weather service.

Rain will be mixing with the brief period of sleep

and freezing rain before it changes to snow

from west to east across the area.

That's the seedling into tonight.

And then we have very windy conditions tonight

into Monday with blowing and drifting snow

with possible near blizzard conditions at times,

especially across northwestern Illinois late tonight

into Monday morning.

So far, the storms have remained sub-severe

across the Chicago area.

That's due to the limited instability

after the passage to the front.

The rain will transition to the snow from west to east this evening.

It's a much colder air mass quickly spills in across our area

along the backside of a deepening surface

low moving into lower Michigan.

This transition will likely be accompanied

by an hour or so of the period of wintery mix

of sleep and freezing rain.

There's now a winter storm warning in effect

for rockford, steepening low and mid-level lapse rates

will support some higher rates of snow

up to an inch per hour for a period late this evening

into the overnight hours as the 700 mB low tracks

north eastward into south central Wisconsin.

While initially the snow will be wet,

a rapidly cooling column will result in a transition

towards a drier, more blowable snowfall late tonight

into Monday morning.

And now the national weather service

starts off the next paragraph

and their forecast discussion with the words,

this is important.

Northwestern wind gusts will come progressively stronger

overnight as the surface low deepens to 980 mB

across northern lower Michigan.

With wind gusts of 45 to 50 miles per hour

likely by early Monday morning,

there continues to be concerned for a period

of near blizzard conditions late tonight into Monday morning.

The worst conditions across the warned area

will be from roughly 11 p.m.

This is for rockford, Illinois.

Tonight through 10 a.m. Monday morning

and we continue to hit the wording

for near blizzard conditions hard

in the winter storm warning.

And we cannot rule out the need for an upgrade

to a blizzard warning tells us the national weather service

east and southeast of the winter storm warning.

A winter weather advisory is an effect

as far southeast as areas near the I-55 corridor tonight

through Monday morning for snow and blowing snow.

Snowfall amounts in the winter weather advisory area

to be lighter and will taper with southeastward extent.

So mounts are generally expected to range

from 2 to 4 inches far northwest to 1 to 3 inches

across the southeast and part of the advisory area.

As it is travel conditions will also be likely

in the advisory area due to the snow and blowing snow

of these increasing northwest winds.

Steep low level flaps rates through the

then critic growth zone are going to continue

to support scattered snow showers even

tomorrow afternoon and squalls

into the mid to late afternoon hours

with flurries potentially even continuing

into Monday night.

This is the unseasonably cold air that comes down

from the Arctic that settles in,

especially Tuesday morning as we start off the day.

And temperatures are so cold

highs are only going to be in the 20s.

We get our fast-moving clipper type shortwave

diving southeast out of Alberta.

That's going to arrive Tuesday night.

Almost every computer model.

All members of the zero Zulu EPS and GFS

output a modest amount of QPF across

our forecast area here Northern Illinois

for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

This translates to measurable snowfall

with air temperatures not expected to rise

above freezing until sometimes

during the mid to late morning on Wednesday.

Some ensemble spread remains with the

strength of the inbound wave and how

much moisture it will have to work with.

But overall this does not have the look

of a black buster snowfall event.

A strong upper-level ridge initially centered

off the California coast will reposition itself eastward

over the desert southwest for the latter

half of the week as we spoke about

in the beginning of this episode.

And this is going to kick off a warming trend here

in the local Chicago area through the end of the work week

as the associated thermal ridge expands eastward

with highs in the 50s

and 60s expected to make a return.

We're going to read the final paragraph here

from the forecast discussion.

Chicago National Weather Service

Jetsfield draped around the ridge's northern periphery

will also get nudged eastward

which will steer any subsequent clipper waves

and systems emanating

out of Canada more to our east.

That said one additional clipper shortwave

may still get close enough to our

area Wednesday night into Thursday

for another round of precipitation to occur here.

This outcome is reflected only

in a minority of grand ensemble members

at this time.

The National Weather Service is making no changes

to the dry forecast at this time

but there is that possibility

of Wednesday night into Thursday morning

for possibly another round of precipitation.

So this ridge

out in our desert southwest

will be impacting

our area locally

by the end of the week

and we're going to see

the St. Louis area.

We do have a tornado watch which is an effect

until 8 p.m. this evening

and this is for central daylight time.

Today to watch

52 remains valentil 8 p.m.

central daylight time this evening

for the following areas

and Illinois this watch includes 15 counties

in South Central Illinois, Bond,

Marion Clinton, Montgomery,

Fayette in Washington

in South West Illinois, Calhoun,

Jersey, and Monroe

in West Central Illinois, Pike in Missouri

this watch includes 15 counties as well

in East Central Missouri, Crawford,

Lincoln, St. Louis City, Franklin, St. Charles,

Warren Jefferson, St. Louis, Washington

in North East Missouri, Pike

in South East Missouri, Iron, Madison,

Rhine, Old St. France

Soy St. Genevieve

this includes the cities of Alton,

Belleville, Bowling, Green, Cahokia

Centralia, Chester, Edwardsville,

Farmington which

includes St. Charles, St. Louis,

Sal and Sparta,

Sula Van, Union,

Mandalia, and Washington.

With thunderstorms through early evening

we'll be capable of

a brief week tornadoes and damaging

wind gusts mainly in South East Missouri

and Southwest Illinois.

We also have the chance for accumulating snow

capable of minor travel impacts

expected tonight

mainly across North Eastern Missouri

and West Central Illinois

and this is an effect for portions

down there as well.

Current official forecasts for St. Louis

are 77 degrees

by this upcoming job.

You have a winter weather advisory

and effect for five counties

in North East Missouri

and West Central Illinois

and the windshield might be

could easily get down to five

below zero in portions

of the St. Louis metro area

and St. Louis has only had an

over 15 to two times

over the past 50 years

that happened in 1979

and again in the year 2002

you're going to have a much warmer

and drier weather pattern

that takes hold on Wednesday

and she continued through the

next weekend.

The St. Louis area begins to feel

more influence from the anomalous

mid to upper-level ridge

across the inter-mountain west.

Wednesday will be the transition day

and there's a high confidence

and well above normal temperatures

through at least Friday

with even the 25th percent

of the NBM showing 60s and 70s.

Temperature uncertainty

increases next weekend as some

ensemble members from the

LREF show a cold frontal passage

this is when the spread on the

IQR of the NBM

increased to 20 to 25 degrees

this is the difference from a continuation

of 20 degrees above normal

near to slightly below normal

values for late March.

We also have wind advisories

and even high wind warnings in effect.

Wind advisory in effect for the St. Louis area

we have a wind advisory effect

for the Chicago area as well

that's an effect until 9 p.m.

central daylight time this evening

late this afternoon and early this evening

damaging winds may occur with the second round

of storms particularly in areas

near and east of interstate 55

main will change over to snow late

as snow accumulations and travel impacts

are expected to occur west of a

South Peru to woodstock Illinois line

strong north westly winds will also

lead to blowing snow in open areas

the next round of snow as we pointed out

is likely to occur Tuesday night

in it to Wednesday

that will bring this episode to an end

and this really does not cover

everything but

thank you for listening

I wish everybody a wonderful week

stay safe and for our snow lovers

our Blizzard lovers

enjoy the snow for the

heat lovers

there's a lot of heat lovers

enjoy the intense excessive heat

expected to develop in the desert south west

temperatures getting very

close to 110 degrees

even in Phoenix

by this upcoming weekend