Summer-like heat to sizzle across Southwest
By
Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Mar 31, 2021 2:32 AM EDT
The weather across the United States will be the tale of two seasons from one coast to the other this week. As winter fights back in the eastern U.S., it will begin to feel more summerlike across much of the Southwest.
During the middle and latter part of the week, warmth will expand throughout the Southwest, with some locales challenging record high temperatures.
Thursday will be the hottest day for coastal areas of Central and Southern California before onshore flow and marine influences bring temperatures back down. Temperatures in parts of the Los Angeles Basin are expected to climb to near 90 F on Thursday. The record to beat in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday is 93 set back in 1985.
The last 90-degree reading in downtown Los Angeles was on Nov. 16 of 2020. Anaheim, California, where the Los Angeles Angels will be hosting their Major League Baseball home opener, is forecast to reach a high in the low 90s Thursday afternoon. Normal high temperatures are in the lower to middle 70s. However, by the evening first pitch time of 7:05 p.m. PDT, AccuWeather forecasters predict temperatures to cool into the lower 80s.
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For interior portions of the Southwest, heat will peak from Friday through the weekend. Temperatures will soar 10 to 20 degrees above normal for most areas.
Phoenix may have a shot at the first 100-degree reading of the year this weekend. The Valley of the Sun last reached the century mark on Oct. 16, 2020. If Phoenix were to reach 100 this weekend, it would be the third-earliest 100-degree temperature on record, but it will also fall well after the earliest 100 recording that occurred on March 26, 1988. May 11 is the average date that Phoenix records its first triple-digit temperature.
Las Vegas will also take a run at 90 degrees for the first time this year and could challenge record highs as well this weekend. The record to beat Saturday is 91, while on Sunday, it's 94, both from 1961. Las Vegas last reached 90 on Oct.19, 2020. The first 90-degree high in Las Vegas doesn't normally happen until April 18.
Those looking to get outdoors for the weekend will want to be sure to stay hydrated and take measures to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially after weathering the cooler winter months.
The taste of summerlike weather will be short-lived, however. "Cooler, stormier weather will return to the West Coast for the first full week of April," AccuWeather Lead Long-range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
"Southern California into the Southwest will likely stay dry, with temperatures trending back toward normal in interior areas and below normal near the coast," Pastelok said. Areas farther north, including central and northern parts of California, will turn unsettled with rain showers and even the potential for mountain snow.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Summer-like heat to sizzle across Southwest
By Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Mar 31, 2021 2:32 AM EDT
The weather across the United States will be the tale of two seasons from one coast to the other this week. As winter fights back in the eastern U.S., it will begin to feel more summerlike across much of the Southwest.
During the middle and latter part of the week, warmth will expand throughout the Southwest, with some locales challenging record high temperatures.
Thursday will be the hottest day for coastal areas of Central and Southern California before onshore flow and marine influences bring temperatures back down. Temperatures in parts of the Los Angeles Basin are expected to climb to near 90 F on Thursday. The record to beat in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday is 93 set back in 1985.
The last 90-degree reading in downtown Los Angeles was on Nov. 16 of 2020. Anaheim, California, where the Los Angeles Angels will be hosting their Major League Baseball home opener, is forecast to reach a high in the low 90s Thursday afternoon. Normal high temperatures are in the lower to middle 70s. However, by the evening first pitch time of 7:05 p.m. PDT, AccuWeather forecasters predict temperatures to cool into the lower 80s.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
For interior portions of the Southwest, heat will peak from Friday through the weekend. Temperatures will soar 10 to 20 degrees above normal for most areas.
Phoenix may have a shot at the first 100-degree reading of the year this weekend. The Valley of the Sun last reached the century mark on Oct. 16, 2020. If Phoenix were to reach 100 this weekend, it would be the third-earliest 100-degree temperature on record, but it will also fall well after the earliest 100 recording that occurred on March 26, 1988. May 11 is the average date that Phoenix records its first triple-digit temperature.
Las Vegas will also take a run at 90 degrees for the first time this year and could challenge record highs as well this weekend. The record to beat Saturday is 91, while on Sunday, it's 94, both from 1961. Las Vegas last reached 90 on Oct.19, 2020. The first 90-degree high in Las Vegas doesn't normally happen until April 18.
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Those looking to get outdoors for the weekend will want to be sure to stay hydrated and take measures to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially after weathering the cooler winter months.
The taste of summerlike weather will be short-lived, however. "Cooler, stormier weather will return to the West Coast for the first full week of April," AccuWeather Lead Long-range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
"Southern California into the Southwest will likely stay dry, with temperatures trending back toward normal in interior areas and below normal near the coast," Pastelok said. Areas farther north, including central and northern parts of California, will turn unsettled with rain showers and even the potential for mountain snow.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo