Early season heat wave building across the Desert Southwest

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - A powerful high-pressure system is building across the Desert Southwest and will bring a rapid warming trend through the rest of the week and into next week.

Temperatures will climb quickly starting Wednesday, with highs reaching the lower to mid-80s across the lower deserts.

By Thursday and Friday, much hotter conditions will take hold as afternoon highs surge into the low to mid-90s across much of the region.

These temperatures are roughly 15 degrees above normal for mid-March, and several daily records could be threatened.

In Yuma, the record high for March 13 is 95°F, set in 2017, which could be tied or broken as the heat intensifies.

The warming trend will likely continue into the weekend as a persistent ridge of high pressure dominates the western United States. Highs across the Imperial Valley and southwestern Arizona are expected to remain in the lower to mid-90s, about 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal averages.

An even stronger ridge of high pressure is forecast to develop early next week, potentially pushing temperatures to near or above 100°F by Monday or Tuesday in Yuma and surrounding desert communities.

If those temperatures occur, it would be unusually early in the season. The earliest 100-degree day on record in Phoenix occurred on March 26, highlighting how abnormal the forecast heat could be across the region.