A rare winter "Heat Dome" is expected to cover the southwestern corner of the United States this week, with record heat likely across several locations. The potential for the most intense weather event is likely to occur as high pressure intensifies in the upper atmosphere, leading to large-scale sinking air being the dominant atmospheric motion over the region. This will be followed by a summer-like ridge across southcentral California, making temperatures more than usual. The highest March temperature ever recorded in Bakersfield was recorded at 94.