A long-duration heat wave is taking shape over the western half of the U.S. and forecast to stick around in the days ahead.

The heat wave about to batter Southern California could be the “most extraordinary” in history, an expert has warned. “It’s hard to put into words just how extreme the heatwave coming to California and the Western U.S. is going to be,” Colin McCarthy, a weather analyst who covers extreme global weather, wrote on X.

If you’re surprised by current high temperatures — compared to what your phone’s weather app reports — these meteorologists say there’s a reason for that.

Parts of the U.S. are facing excessive rain, severe thunderstorms and heavy snow leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, but that doesn’t seem to apply to California, National Weather Forecast data shows. Tyler Salas, a forecaster with weather service ...

IT ABSOLUTELY IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T ACCLIMATED TO WARMTH LIKE THIS. WE’RE NOT USED TO IT, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH. AND HERE WE ARE LOGGING TEMPERATURES WILL BE SURPASSING NOT ONLY THE RECORD HIGHS TODAY,

Longer days and warmer weather are headed to the Golden State.

Record-breaking heat scorches western US as Phoenix hits 100 degrees