A massive heat dome has been spreading across much of the United States with temperatures

reaching historic highs.

But it's not an isolated spike.

In recent weeks, the country has grappled with a series of extreme weather events.

Ali Rogan has more for our periodic series tipping point.

John, this heat is not just notable for nearly unprecedented early spring temperatures,

but also for the amount of ground it's covering.

Temperatures have been 20 to 40 degrees above normal in the Great Plains, and it's been

moving east.

Some cities are already seeing record-breaking streaks, and the heat is expected to last

into early April. That's because a high-pressure

system is acting like a lid, trapping hot air underneath and allowing temperatures to rise day-by-day.

The Southwest registered triple digits, with temperatures reaching 101 degrees in New Mexico.

Kansas also set a March record with 102 degrees twice in four days.

For more on what we can expect in the coming days, I'm joined by Bernadette Woods Placky,

chief meteorologist at Climate Central Bernadette. Thank you so much for being here.

How unusual is it for us to see this type of heat in March? And has this ever happened before?

This is wildly unusual. And no, it has not happened to this level before. I do think people are

used to seeing temperatures spike 100 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas. That's usually May, June, July.

It's not in March.

And how far has this heat spread in the country so far?

And what can we expect in the coming days?

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