Heat wave slams western U.S.

With the official start of summer still days away, forecasters are warning of dangerous, record-high temperatures across much of the West this week. Phoenix is expected to hit 118 degrees, Las Vegas 116 degrees, and Needles, Calif., possibly 121.

How widespread is this? The National Weather Service says the spate of high temperatures could break dozens, and possibly hundreds, of records from the southern border all the way up to Montana, which could see temperatures higher than 100. The heat wave could last several days and dramatically increase the risk of fire in parts of California and Nevada.

Dig deeper: Read Shayla Ashmore’s report about a group of Christians praying for rain in Northern California.