Cooldown to come with more dangers for the Southwest
By
Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 24, 2020 5:34 PM EDT
The Aquila Fire was started on June 23 in Phoenix, Arizona, and quickly grew in size to more than a thousand acres, forcing residents in the area to evacuate.
Scorching heat has been baking much of the West this week, but a brief reprieve is on the horizon by later this weekend. The relief from sizzling temperatures will come at a cost though, forecasters said, as gusty winds will whip up a rejuvenated fire threat in parts of the Southwest already battling historic wildfires.
Heat wave continues through this week
Through the first half of the weekend, intense heat, with afternoon temperatures generally soaring 5-10 degrees above normal, will persist across much of the West, from Tacoma, Washington, to Tucson, Arizona. Highs in some parts of the Northwest could even surpass normal temperatures by 15 degrees or more at the end of the week.
Sacramento, California, has already topped 100 twice this week and could do so again before the week is over. Phoenix reached at least 110 degrees for three days in a row. Even some places as far north as Yakima, in central Washington, will challenge the century mark by the end of the week.
Crash in temperatures to commence this weekend
"A large storm will dive southward out of British Columbia to end the weekend, sending temperatures tumbling through the first part of next week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley said.
The Northwest will be the first to feel relief from crashing temperatures on Sunday. Some of the hottest areas of the interior Northwest on Friday will experience high temperatures that are 20-30 degrees lower on Sunday.
The temperature in Medford, Oregon, will free-fall from a sweltering high of 98 F on Friday to a high of just 69 F on Sunday.
Precipitation will also accompany the cooler weather in interior portions of the Northwest. Snow could even return to some spots in the Bitterroot Mountains that lie along the border of Idaho and Montana and the Teton Range of northwestern Wyoming, mainly above 7,000 feet in elevation, early next week. In the lower elevations, some of the rain that will fall could be heavy.
Farther south, heat will be trimmed a bit on Sunday as well, but the Southwest will have to wait until Monday to feel the biggest drop in temperatures. Highs on Monday will be around 10-20 degrees lower than during the first part of the weekend.
There's a chance that Phoenix might not reach 100 degrees on Monday or Tuesday. If they don't, it would be the first time since June 9, when an abnormally cool stretch kept highs in the low to mid-90s in Phoenix for four straight days. The normal high for Phoenix this time of year is 106 F.
"Normally, only a few days in June end up below 100 in the typically hotter places in the desert Southwest like Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona, or Needles, California," Longley said.
In the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, temperatures will drop from the 100s on Saturday to the 80s on Monday. Meanwhile, at the beaches, the cooldown will hardly even be noticeable.
"The cool waters of the Pacific have helped keep the immediate coast cool during the heat wave. As the cooldown commences for interior areas, there really won't be much change in temperatures at the beaches," said Longley.
As some people head the water to look for relief from the heat, they must always heed caution. On Thursday evening, three people were washed off rocks at Point Mugu, California. Unfortunately, all three perished and their bodies were recovered a short time later.
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Forecasters say temperatures will begin to rebound and throttle up again during the second half of next week in the West.
Hazardous winds to whip Southwest
Even though the relief from the heat will be welcomed by many, gusty winds that the storm diving south will whip up will not. Despite the heat, firefighters in Arizona have been able to make significant strides in fighting historic wildfires across the state. Much of the success has been due to lighter winds.
"As gusty winds return early next week, ongoing wildfires could grow out of control again, and any new wildfires that spark could spread very quickly," AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo said.
Widespread wind gusts of 35-45 mph are anticipated across much of the Great Basin and Four Corners region spanning from Sunday into Tuesday, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph.
"The strongest winds are expected on Sunday and Monday," LoBiondo said. "Along with the heightened fire threat, these wind gusts will also lead to blowing dust and cause hazardous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles."
Residents of the region are urged to review evacuation routes and procedures and have a plan in place in case a fire emergency does develop.
Forecasters expect the gusty winds to subside again during the second half of next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Cooldown to come with more dangers for the Southwest
By Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 24, 2020 5:34 PM EDT
The Aquila Fire was started on June 23 in Phoenix, Arizona, and quickly grew in size to more than a thousand acres, forcing residents in the area to evacuate.
Scorching heat has been baking much of the West this week, but a brief reprieve is on the horizon by later this weekend. The relief from sizzling temperatures will come at a cost though, forecasters said, as gusty winds will whip up a rejuvenated fire threat in parts of the Southwest already battling historic wildfires.
Heat wave continues through this week
Through the first half of the weekend, intense heat, with afternoon temperatures generally soaring 5-10 degrees above normal, will persist across much of the West, from Tacoma, Washington, to Tucson, Arizona. Highs in some parts of the Northwest could even surpass normal temperatures by 15 degrees or more at the end of the week.
Sacramento, California, has already topped 100 twice this week and could do so again before the week is over. Phoenix reached at least 110 degrees for three days in a row. Even some places as far north as Yakima, in central Washington, will challenge the century mark by the end of the week.
Crash in temperatures to commence this weekend
"A large storm will dive southward out of British Columbia to end the weekend, sending temperatures tumbling through the first part of next week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley said.
The Northwest will be the first to feel relief from crashing temperatures on Sunday. Some of the hottest areas of the interior Northwest on Friday will experience high temperatures that are 20-30 degrees lower on Sunday.
The temperature in Medford, Oregon, will free-fall from a sweltering high of 98 F on Friday to a high of just 69 F on Sunday.
Precipitation will also accompany the cooler weather in interior portions of the Northwest. Snow could even return to some spots in the Bitterroot Mountains that lie along the border of Idaho and Montana and the Teton Range of northwestern Wyoming, mainly above 7,000 feet in elevation, early next week. In the lower elevations, some of the rain that will fall could be heavy.
Farther south, heat will be trimmed a bit on Sunday as well, but the Southwest will have to wait until Monday to feel the biggest drop in temperatures. Highs on Monday will be around 10-20 degrees lower than during the first part of the weekend.
There's a chance that Phoenix might not reach 100 degrees on Monday or Tuesday. If they don't, it would be the first time since June 9, when an abnormally cool stretch kept highs in the low to mid-90s in Phoenix for four straight days. The normal high for Phoenix this time of year is 106 F.
"Normally, only a few days in June end up below 100 in the typically hotter places in the desert Southwest like Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona, or Needles, California," Longley said.
Related:
In the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, temperatures will drop from the 100s on Saturday to the 80s on Monday. Meanwhile, at the beaches, the cooldown will hardly even be noticeable.
"The cool waters of the Pacific have helped keep the immediate coast cool during the heat wave. As the cooldown commences for interior areas, there really won't be much change in temperatures at the beaches," said Longley.
As some people head the water to look for relief from the heat, they must always heed caution. On Thursday evening, three people were washed off rocks at Point Mugu, California. Unfortunately, all three perished and their bodies were recovered a short time later.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Forecasters say temperatures will begin to rebound and throttle up again during the second half of next week in the West.
Hazardous winds to whip Southwest
Even though the relief from the heat will be welcomed by many, gusty winds that the storm diving south will whip up will not. Despite the heat, firefighters in Arizona have been able to make significant strides in fighting historic wildfires across the state. Much of the success has been due to lighter winds.
"As gusty winds return early next week, ongoing wildfires could grow out of control again, and any new wildfires that spark could spread very quickly," AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo said.
Widespread wind gusts of 35-45 mph are anticipated across much of the Great Basin and Four Corners region spanning from Sunday into Tuesday, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph.
"The strongest winds are expected on Sunday and Monday," LoBiondo said. "Along with the heightened fire threat, these wind gusts will also lead to blowing dust and cause hazardous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles."
Residents of the region are urged to review evacuation routes and procedures and have a plan in place in case a fire emergency does develop.
Forecasters expect the gusty winds to subside again during the second half of next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo