NewsCalifornia Drought

Actions

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

Wild West Weather Numbers
Posted
and last updated

(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.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Thursday

02/26/2026

Mostly Cloudy

-° / 57°

8%

Friday

02/27/2026

Partly Cloudy

76° / 56°

8%

Saturday

02/28/2026

Mostly Clear

83° / 56°

6%

Sunday

03/01/2026

Partly Cloudy

77° / 53°

18%

Monday

03/02/2026

Clear

69° / 48°

7%

Tuesday

03/03/2026

Mostly Clear

72° / 49°

6%

Wednesday

03/04/2026

Mostly Clear

71° / 49°

24%

Thursday

03/05/2026

Clear

68° / 45°

5%