Record-challenging heat to build over Southwest, including over 100 F in Phoenix
Temperatures will reach triple digits over part of the interior Southwest into this weekend, and dry air paired with the heat will rise the risk of wildfires.
Gloomy days are ahead this weekend for the Northeast. Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter introduces the AccuLumen Brightness Index™ on the app to help you determine the darkness or brightness of the sky.
Temperatures will throttle up over the southwestern United States into this weekend with some of the highest temperatures of the year so far for many areas across the interior, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The string of hot, dry days will also boost the spring wildfire risk in the region.
"A strong area of high pressure will bring unusual warmth for this time of year for the rest of this week and this weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr said, "The high looks to be the strongest into Friday, then weakens a bit this weekend as it slides eastward."
Temperatures will run 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit above historical averages at the peak, with records challenged. Factoring in April sunshine, which is equivalent to sunshine in August, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures can spike to 10 degrees or more above the actual temperature during the day.
"Phoenix experienced its first 100 F reading of the year on Thursday," Zehr said, "Friday and Saturday may also top 100."
The average date for the first 100 is May 2 at Phoenix. The earliest date was March 26, 1988.
For outdoor enthusiasts who will be venturing out in the wilderness over the next week or so, be sure to pack plenty of water, as the sun and heat in remote areas can have deadly consequences.
Heat will build over the southern Rockies to Texas the most this weekend.
In California, the interior will get very warm, but sea breezes will keep coastal areas relatively cool, and there can be some short-lived fog along and near the coast to start each day.
"There is a chance an eddy forms just offshore of Southern California, which is a common phenomenon in June," Zehr said.
The counterclockwise circulation around the eddy can direct long-lasting cool, damp air with clouds and drizzle toward Southern California beaches and even to the Interstate 5 corridor. "If that eddy forms, coastal areas could be cloudy, drizzly and chilly for days, just like it often occurs in June," Zehr explained.
The core of the heat will begin to shift farther to the east over the Southwest this weekend.
As this occurs, temperatures should intensify in the California deserts first, followed by the Nevada and Arizona deserts as the weekend progresses. Cities such as Denver will join in on the heat surge and may challenge record highs.
Across the interior Southwest, where temperatures will be the highest and the air the driest, the risk of wildfires will increase, especially by the weekend, following a week of scorching sunshine. Locally gusty winds could fan the flames of any fire sparked by human interaction, as thunderstorm activity is not expected.
People are urged to be extremely careful with open flames, power equipment, or anything that can lead to sparks. Motorists should also avoid parking vehicles, even for a few minutes, on high grass and brush, as contact with the hot exhaust systems can start a fire.
It could be many weeks before some rainfall from the North American monsoon is widespread over the Southwest. Drought conditions will continue to worsen beforehand.
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