CENTRAL VALLEY, Calif. (KFSN) — As a heat wave hits the Southwest, the Central Valley will likely see record-breaking temperatures in March.<\/p>\n
“Our all-time record for any given day in the month of March is 91, so we are not just gonna break a record, we are gonna shatter it many days in a row,” says John Abatzoglou, climatologist and researcher at UC Merced. University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n
Local National Weather Service meteorologists and UC Merced researchers say we are more than 10 to 20 degrees above average for this time of year.<\/p>\n
And although the Valley is no stranger to heat, Abatzoglou says the early timing and impact of this heat wave is even more unusual.<\/p>\n
“Typically, when we break temperature records, we break them by like a degree or two, and in this case, in Fresno, we might be breaking a monthly record by two, three, four degrees, and it’s even worse in other areas across the South West,” explains Abatzoglou.<\/p>\n
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service say overnight lows will bring relief from the heat to the Valley.<\/p>\n
They encourage people to stay hydrated and safe in the sun.<\/p>\n
“Take breaks, don’t go into the sunlight as much as you need to, stay indoors if you can, stay in air-conditioned buildings. At night, I would recommend opening your windows,” urges National Weather Service meteorologist Emily Wilson.<\/p>\n
Although there is some relief in sight in the coming days… for now, researchers say the atmosphere is basically stagnant.<\/p>\n
“The atmosphere is effectively stuck. What we are looking at is just exceptional, it’s just crazy we are getting a really good stress test for summer, it’s way too early for most people,” mentions Abatzoglou.<\/p>\n
Although we are seeing ACCUWEATHER Alert days, the National Weather Service says there are no advisories just yet and this is thanks to those overnight cool temperatures.<\/p>\n
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