Despite being declared the third-hottest year on record, 2025 was a relatively quiet year for climate disasters in the US. No major hurricanes made landfall, while the total number of acres burned in wildfires last year--a way of measuring the intensity of wildfire season --fell below the 10-year average. But starting this week, the West is experiencing what looks to be a record-breaking heat wave, while forecasting models predict that a strong El Niño event is likely to emerge later this year. These two unrelated phenomena could set the stage for a long stretch of unpredictable and extreme weather reaching into next year, compounding the effects of a climate that's getting hotter and hotter thanks to human activity. Beginning this week and heading into next, a massive ridge of high-pressure air will bring record-breaking temperatures to the American West.

Like many of us, the bugs have been hunkered down waiting for spring to return. CDC/ James Gathany; William L. Nicholson, Ph.D. (left). Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. With days to go until the official first day of spring, it was a tale of two winters in the continental United States. Colorado's mountains had record low snow levels, while Salt Lake City and Phoenix were among the cities who had their highest winter temperatures on record .

Forl = 2, i. e., for 3 - cycles, thisrelationship is X ikX kj= X ij. Figure 1: Averagematchingerrorunderthe LBCmodel ( left) and LACmodel ( right).