Phoenix set a new record when the temperature hit 93 degrees on March 2, according to the National Weather Service.

The sunny, unseasonably hot day topped the previous hottest temperature for the date of March 2, which was recorded at 90 degrees in 2016.

“Phoenix reached 93°F again today, breaking yet another daily record high and making it 4 straight days tying or breaking record highs,” the National Weather Service said on X.

Phoenix also set a new record for the warmest low temperature on March 2, beating the record from 100 years ago. The low temperature was 64 degrees at Sky Harbor International Airport on March 2, which was 12 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was 63 degrees on March 2, 1926.

The new records were hardly a surprise in Phoenix, which has seen warmer-than-usual temperatures for months.

“Most of this winter has actually been pretty, pretty warm,” said Gabriel Lojero, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Phoenix.

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Lojero noted that December 2025 and February 2026 set records for each being the hottest on record. January 2026 wasn’t far behind, registering as the fourth-warmest January on record for Phoenix.

Part of what was driving the hotter temperatures was the La Niña weather pattern playing out over the eastern Pacific Ocean.

“Whenever we have a winter with La Niña conditions, that usually spells drier than normal and warmer than normal conditions,” Lojero said.

However, there was some relief in store for the rest of the week.

“We’re going to be cooling down gradually through the remainder of the week,” Lojero said. “We’re not expecting any record setting heat temperatures after today.”

Starting March 3, high temperatures were expected to be in the mid-80s, which is still 10 degrees above normal but cooler than what Phoenix has experienced over the last several days, according to Lojero. The end of the work week will be even cooler, with high temperatures predicted to be in the mid- to upper 70s by March 6.

The weekend could be a bit warmer with temperatures in the lower 80s, Lojero said.

In the meantime, it is important to exercise caution in the heat, especially as big outdoor events like spring training baseball games are in full swing, Lojero said. That means hydrating often and taking breaks in the shade.

“Here in the desert Southwest, we’re accustomed to the heat, given how hot our summers are. But given that this sort of heat is occurring very early during the year, our bodies are not acclimated fully to the heat just yet,” Lojero said. “A lot of visitors are coming in from colder climates, and so obviously even more for them, they’re not accustomed to this early season heat.”

Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She also co-hosts “The Gaggle,” The Republic’s weekly politics podcast. Reach her via email at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com and on social media @stephanie_murr.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix’s record-breaking unseasonable heat on the way out