Parts of California and Arizona were under extreme heat warnings again Saturday while sweltering summerlike weather even stretched as far north as Nebraska just a day into spring.
Temperatures at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 C) were forecast in the Southwest, closing a remarkable week of record-breaking heat.
Experts say April, May and June are likely to be hotter than normal almost everywhere in the US.
Win Marsh said the heat was a reason to return home early to Utah after she and her husband, Stephen, hiked 170 miles (273 kilometres) over two weeks in Arizona, starting at the Mexico border.
Their goal was to complete more than 800 miles (1,287 kilometres) on the Arizona Trail.
“We know our limits,” Marsh, 63, said Saturday. “We can’t hike when our bodies can’t cool down.
There’s no shade out there, and water sources are drying up. … We promised our kids we wouldn’t do sketchy stuff. We’re not out there for a search-and-rescue event.”
