Pacific storms to snap record heat wave in western US next week with cooler air, rain
After days of record-breaking heat across the West, a series of storms will bring cooler air, spotty thunderstorms, rain and mountain snow to some regions next week, though drought and wildfire relief may be limited.
Severe heat shifting from the Southwest into the Plains is leading to high fire danger late this week.
Many areas have already recorded their highest temperatures of the extensive heat wave, but several more hot days are ahead across much of the interior West and Great Plains. Relief from the heat is on the horizon; however, a shift in the weather pattern will send multiple storms, cooling much of the region and bringing rain and mountain snow to some areas.
"Close to 700 monthly record highs have been set so far during the heat wave, along with more than 2,000 daily record highs," said AccuWeather Meteorologist and social media producer Jesse Ferrell.
Phoenix recorded three consecutive days at or above 105 degrees Fahrenheit from March 19–21. During that stretch, Palm Springs, California, reached 108, while Yuma, Arizona, hit 109. Heat this extreme is more typical of June and July.
The remaining heat will shift from day to day into early next week. Temperatures have eased slightly over the interior Southwest in recent days compared to the peak late last week. However, heat will rebuild into the weekend, with many locations likely to set additional record highs.
Heat surged across the Plains at midweek, with multiple locations setting daily record highs. Cooler air will push southward from Thursday into Friday before heat builds again over the weekend.
Changes are coming, thanks to multiple storms
Three storms will move into different parts of the West from Sunday through Wednesday.
The first storm will be relatively weak but may have enough strength to draw moisture northward from the subtropical Pacific across Mexico and into parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado from Sunday to Monday.
This setup may mimic the early stages of the North American monsoon, but it is too early in the season for the monsoon pattern to take hold and persist.
Enough moisture may arrive to trigger spotty thunderstorms with locally gusty winds and lightning strikes that could spark wildfires. In areas with little or no rain, storms may also produce blowing dust.
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From Monday into Tuesday night, a larger storm will move in from the Pacific Ocean.
This storm will bring rain to California, northern Nevada and parts of southern Oregon and Idaho. In places such as San Francisco, it could produce the most significant rainfall since mid-February, with a few tenths of an inch possible.
How far south steady, soaking rain reaches remains uncertain, with only sporadic showers likely in Southern California and much of Nevada.
The primary impact of the Monday-to-Tuesday storm will be cooler air spreading across much of the West. For example, in Sacramento, California, after record highs in the 80s this weekend, highs will drop to the 70s on Monday and the 60s on Tuesday. In downtown Los Angeles, temperatures will fall from well into the 80s this weekend to near 70 by Tuesday. Highs in Phoenix are forecast to reach the low 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Some high-elevation snow is likely from Monday night into Tuesday, but it will not compare to the blockbuster winter storms earlier this season.
The third and largest storm will track into the Northwest on Wednesday, bringing rain and mountain snow to Washington, Oregon and Northern California, before spreading into northern Nevada, Idaho and the northern and central Rockies later in the week.
Despite three storms affecting the West in less than a week, total rainfall may be limited, especially across the Colorado River basin and the deserts.
Wildfire conditions that kicked into high gear thanks to the current heat wave may linger well into the typical greenup season over the interior West and High Plains.
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