Parks hit record — heat warning

The National Park Service recorded more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025, including over 13 million overnight stays, per the agency’s 2025 visitation report. nationalparkstraveler.org Yosemite National Park reported 4,278,413 visitors in 2025, making it one of the busiest single parks in the system that year. goldrushcam.com Park operations were strained by a 43‑day federal shutdown in October–November 2025 that led to furloughs and forced partial or full closures at some units, officials said. nationalparkstraveler.org The National Weather Service offices in San Diego and Los Angeles issued Extreme Heat Watches for large parts of Southern California covering March 16–20, 2026, with inland valley forecasts calling for highs in the 90s to near 100°F. weather.gov The NWS Phoenix office described its watch as the earliest on record for the region and forecasters warned some Arizona and desert locales could reach well over 108°F, with some reports citing readings up to 115°F during the peak of the event. newsweek.com California’s Department of Water Resources said about 20% of the peak statewide snowpack had melted by March 1, 2026, and that spring runoff was already “well underway,” a trend hydrologists say will accelerate with prolonged heat. water.ca.gov Yosemite’s March 1 snow‑survey figures showed snow‑water equivalent near 65% in the Tuolumne basin and 71% in the Merced basin of the March 1 average, underscoring the rapid early melt. nps.gov State and federal agencies have broadened worker‑safety and public‑health advisories — Cal/OSHA issued outdoor‑work heat warnings and the NWS flagged a “high risk for heat illness” for March 16–20 — while park conditions pages list temporary access changes such as Yosemite’s Valley Loop weekday restrictions and Joshua Tree’s weekday closure of the 49 Palms Oasis trail. foxla.com