(Tables may need to be scrolled to view full data on mobile devices) March 19th, 2026 kicked off a widespread heat event that developed across most of the United States, bringing temperatures well above seasonal norms and, in some cases, into record-breaking territory. By the weekend, the pattern had intensified - pushing anomalies to extremes rarely seen this early in the year - before another passing system brought a sharp return to more seasonal cooler conditions. Let's take a closer look at how the event unfolded, using observations from the Tempest Network to highlight both the scale and intensity of the heat.