Great Autumn Heatwave of 2024 Continues to Sear Southwest

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An autumn heatwave without precedent continued to scorch parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada this weekend. In 13 blazing days, Palm Springs tied the national October record high temperature of 117°, Indio, CA was among three locations reaching 116° on Sunday (the hottest temperature ever recorded so late in the season in the United States), and three cities topped the nation’s highest average high temperature for the September 24-October 6 period.

Phoenix, with nearly 1.7 million people, was experiencing its worst heat so late in the season. On September 28th, it recorded a 117° high temperature, which broke the September monthly record and tied the August monthly record. On October 1st, it saw a 113° high temperature, which decimated the previous October monthly record of 107°. Then, on October 6th, it reached 113° again.