'Extreme heat peril': Californians urged to save power as Western US continues to broil under record temperatures

As a major heat wave broils much of the Western U.S. and creates stress on energy grids, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday asked Californians to voluntarily conserve power to avoid rotating outages.

Citing "extreme heat peril," Newsom on Thursday signed an emergency proclamation allowing power plants to increase operations if needed to meet electricity demands.

The California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s energy grid, also issued a so-called Flex Alert calling on individuals and businesses to reduce energy use in the evenings, through Friday. The alert encouraged people to set thermostats to 78 degrees, avoid using large appliances, close drapes and blinds, turn off unnecessary lights, and use fans.

Interior areas of California, especially in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and the deserts, baked in triple-digit high temperatures Thursday. Death Valley reached 128 degrees and Palm Springs tied the all-time record of 123 degrees.

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The heat will also continue into the weekend for much of the West and Southwest U.S. with temperatures soaring past 110 degrees. .

"For the next several days, much of the West and Southwest are expected to see triple-digit heat, making it imperative that individuals take precautions to stay safe from the heat and do what they can to conserve energy," according to a statement from Newsom's office.

Here's what we know:

Record temperatures across the West

Cities across the West are seeing record-breaking temperatures, including Phoenix, which is expected to see 116-degree weather Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Phoenix is facing an excessive heat warning until Sunday with lower desert highs of 113 to 120 degrees before cooler temperature come Monday.

Thursday saw a record-breaking high of 118 degrees in Phoenix, which the NWS said was 13 degrees above normal. This number broke a daily record high of 115 degrees last set in 1981, according to the weather service.

Assuming it holds through midnight, Phoenix set a daily record for warmest low temperature at 92 degrees on Friday, breaking a previous record warm low of 88 degrees in 2008.

"It's just going to be very hot and we'll be flirting with records each day," meteorologist Matthew Hirsch said of the week ahead. "We don't see cooling trends really until late in the weekend, early next week."

Meanwhile, Salt Lake City and Palm Springs, California, have both matched all-time high temperatures this week, and record highs are expected in Northern California and in the Central Valley.

Southern Nevada will be experiencing near-record or record heat until Saturday, the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said, with Las Vegas topping an 80-year record on Wednesday with a high of 116 degrees.

Palm Springs hit 120 degrees Wednesday and 117 on Tuesday, breaking the record high temperature for June 15 set in 1961.

Denver scorched daily records set in 1952 and 1993 of 97 degrees with 101-degree heat Tuesday.

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Heat brings wildfire and power outages risk

As blasting air conditioners strain grids, the Energy Reliability Council of Texas has asked Texans to conserve energy this week to avoid blackouts. Texas power plants on Monday experienced unexpected outages, darkening 2.4 million homes.

Citing high temperatures and dry soil, the National Weather Service has raised concerns about elevated fire risk in "portions of the Rockies and Intermountain West."

At least 14 new fires have been reported in Montana and Wyoming since Tuesday.

In Montana, state officials were warned of a prolonged and particularly destructive fire season before two major wildfires burned across the state, leading to evacuations, highway closures and the destruction of an undetermined number of homes. There have also been injuries to multiple officers, and as high winds stoked flames, a firefighting helicopter was forced to crash-land.

Dry weather in Idaho has also prompted authorities to prepare for a particularly challenging wildfire season.

Several wildfires in Arizona have consumed more than 31,900 acres with the newest fire, dubbed Backbone, reported Wednesday night.

Heat waves could become new normal

More than 40 million people in the Western U.S. were under heat advisories or excessive heat warnings this week, the National Weather Service said. AccuWeather confirmed at least 11 states reporting triple-digit temperatures, and at least four states have issued evacuation orders for residents.

But the persistent heat waves may be sticking around for a while, raising concerns that the extreme heat may become the new normal. Scientists who study drought and climate change say that people living in the American West can expect to see more of the same in the coming years.

“Heat waves are getting worse in the West because the soil is so dry” from the region's megadrought, said Park Williams, a University of California, Los Angeles, climate and fire scientist who has calculated that soil in the western half of the nation is the driest it has been since 1895. “We could have two, three, four, five of these heat waves before the end of the summer.”

Contributing: Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY; Chelsea Curtis, Amaris Encinas, Arizona Republic; Bob Sechler, Austin American Statesman; Philip Joens, Des Moines Register; David Murray, Great Falls Tribune; and the Associated Press.

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat wave 2021: California tries to save energy; Phoenix record temps