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Numbers explain how and why West bakes, burns and dries out

Wild West Weather Numbers
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(AP) — The US West is getting hit with a triple whammy of record heat, megadrought and wildfires — and just a handful of numbers explains the how and why of this wild and deadly weather.

A potential all-time record or two may have been set in Death Valley. June was the hottest on record. And less than 1% of the West is not in drought or abnormally dry.

Summers in the West have warmed by 2.7 degrees in just 30 years. In 20 years the number of acres burned by wildfire has doubled on average.

Scientists say this is climate change in action.

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Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Wednesday

01/21/2026

AM Fog/PM Clouds

60° / 47°

5%

Thursday

01/22/2026

AM Fog/PM Sun

59° / 44°

14%

Friday

01/23/2026

Partly Cloudy

62° / 45°

6%

Saturday

01/24/2026

Partly Cloudy

57° / 40°

13%

Sunday

01/25/2026

Partly Cloudy

62° / 42°

3%

Monday

01/26/2026

Partly Cloudy

63° / 39°

1%

Tuesday

01/27/2026

Partly Cloudy

63° / 42°

2%

Wednesday

01/28/2026

Partly Cloudy

63° / 43°

2%