End to the southwestern US heat wave to come on Monday
Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding to sweep through Abu Rakh, Saudi Arabia on April 25.
The weather pattern responsible for the hottest weather of the year so far over the interior Southwest will break down for the final days of April.
For many locations, this past Friday was the hottest day in the first heat wave of the year. The temperature reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit at Death Valley, California.
Temperatures exceeded 100 in Palm Springs, Imperial, Thermal, Blythe and Needles, California, on Friday, when Phoenix recorded its first 100-degree day of the year.
During much of this past week, a northward bulge in the jet stream coincided with an area of high pressure near the surface. The pattern brought building heat, combined with dry and sunny conditions.
"Early this week, the jet stream will dip southward and some moisture will be drawn in from the Pacific Ocean," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
This will return showers and thunderstorms to the Southwest with the greatest activity around the Four Corners region.
There is the potential for locally heavy rain and gusty winds across the interior Southwest on Monday with another windy day to follow on Tuesday.
Those who have hiking trips planned should use caution as a downpour from miles away can trigger flash flooding in canyons and the normally dry stream beds known as arroyos.
The shower and thunderstorm activity is not associated with the monsoon, which is officially noted by several days in a row of high humidity that leads to a daily uptick in showers and thunderstorms. The monsoon does not typically begin until June.
In the wake of the storm, the jet stream will retreat northward and high pressure will build over the region once again during the middle and latter part of the week, along with a warming trend.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see how high temperatures will climb into this weekend and if your area may be hit with thunderstorms next week. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
