Photos show Bay Area sizzling as unseasonable warmth grips the U.S. West

18 Mar 2026 • 7:54 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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A rare winter heat wave is sweeping across the western United States, bringing unusually high temperatures and early-season records from California to the desert Southwest. In San Francisco, where fog and cool summers are the norm, residents shed layers and flocked to Crissy Field as temperatures climbed into the 80s and 90s, marking the city’s hottest March in decades.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.