From Idaho to Arizona to California, An Unusual Heat Wave Could Set Record Highs in These Cities This Weekend

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This week, a rare weather pattern will bring summerlike temperatures far ahead of schedule to dozens of major cities. As the jet stream experiences an unusual northward tilt in the West, a heat dome is settling parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada, exposing millions of Americans to unseasonable heat.

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Forecasts show temperatures exceeding historical averages by more than 20 degrees in some parts of the country. In a handful of cities, temperatures will exceed 90°F or 100°F on April 11 or 12 for the first time in recorded history, shattering prior records by more than five degrees. A closer look at the data reveals where the coming heat wave could set record highs.

To determine the cities where an unusual heat wave could set record highs this weekend, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed 72-hour temperature forecasts and historical station-level daily temperature readings from the NOAA. Cities were ranked based on the difference between the forecast maximum temperature for April 10 to 12, 2025, and the historical observed record high temperature for those days. Gridded forecast data are from the National Digital Forecast Database, while historical temperatures are from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily program of the National Centers for Environmental Information. Weather stations were matched to places using nearest neighbor analysis and were limited to cities within 50 miles of the city centroid. Only cities with at least 100,000 residents were considered.

20. Los Angeles, CA

• Forecast maximum, April 11: 92.0°F (+2.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 90.0°F (April 11, 1962)
• Normal April 11 maximum, 2006-2020: 75.9°F

 

19. San Antonio, TX

• Forecast maximum, April 11: 92.0°F (+2.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 90.0°F (April 11, 2021)
• Normal April 11 maximum, 2006-2020: 82.2°F

 

18. Lancaster, CA

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 90.0°F (+2.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 88.0°F (April 12, 1989)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 72.9°F

 

17. San Diego, CA

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 79.1°F (+2.1°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 77.0°F (April 12, 2002)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 59.8°F

 

16. Arvada, CO

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 65.0°F (+2.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 62.1°F (April 12, 1992)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 46.2°F

 

15. Provo, UT

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 65.9°F (+2.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 63.0°F (April 12, 1988)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 47.0°F

 

14. Albuquerque, NM

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 81.9°F (+2.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 79.0°F (April 12, 2017)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 69.5°F

 

13. Henderson, NV

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 94.0°F (+3.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 91.0°F (April 12, 1990)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 79.0°F

 

12. Colorado Springs, CO

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 70.1°F (+3.2°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 66.9°F (April 12, 2006)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 55.3°F

 

11. Phoenix, AZ

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 101.9°F (+3.8°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 98.1°F (April 12, 1946)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 85.8°F

 

10. El Paso, TX

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 94.0°F (+4.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 90.0°F (April 12, 1982)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 80.9°F

 

9. Las Vegas, NV

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 92.0°F (+4.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 88.0°F (April 12, 1921)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 76.2°F

 

8. Scottsdale, AZ

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 88.1°F (+4.1°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 84.0°F (April 12, 1988)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 71.9°F

 

7. Victorville, CA

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 96.0°F (+4.1°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 91.9°F (April 12, 1990)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 79.8°F

 

6. North Las Vegas, NV

• Forecast maximum, April 11: 96.0°F (+4.1°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 91.9°F (April 11, 1985)
• Normal April 11 maximum, 2006-2020: 79.1°F

 

5. Enterprise, NV

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 94.9°F (+4.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 90.0°F (April 12, 2002)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 79.8°F

 

4. Glendale, AZ

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 101.0°F (+4.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 96.1°F (April 12, 1990)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 84.9°F

 

3. Boise City, ID

• Forecast maximum, April 11: 76.9°F (+5.8°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 71.1°F (April 11, 1988)
• Normal April 11 maximum, 2006-2020: 56.1°F

 

2. Salt Lake City, UT

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 81.9°F (+6.0°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 75.9°F (April 12, 1988)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 56.4°F

 

1. Tucson, AZ

• Forecast maximum, April 12: 98.0°F (+8.9°F above record)
• Highest recorded maximum for period: 89.1°F (April 12, 1972)
• Normal April 12 maximum, 2006-2020: 80.3°F

 

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