Records for earlier-than-usual high temperatures were broken in multiple states by the heatwave, including in California, Arizona and Nevada.
A town near North Shore, California, matched the previous March record this week, hitting 42C on 18 March, according to the NWS.
Phoenix also recorded its hottest March day ever on Thursday, climbing to 40C, past the previous record of 39C which was set on Wednesday.
Las Vegas reached 35C, surpassing the previous record of 34C on Wednesday.
“Extreme early-season heat coupled with high tourism rates will make this heat very dangerous,” the Las Vegas, Nevada NWS office warned earlier this week.
Typically, the average first 40C degree day of the year does not occur until the end of May, the NWS said.
But those norms were shattered this week.
The intense heat was the result of a strong, slow-moving high-pressure system (often called a heat dome) trapping hot air over the region, pushing temperatures -6 to -1C above normal.
Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.
The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
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