Big Idea

• It’s another warm week Highs in the upper 80’s, lows in the 50’s
• Weekend temperatures slightly lower
• No precipitation this week
• Read more...

Don’t put your summer clothes away yet!

Forecast Summary:

Record heat for this time of year will return to Arizona tomorrow through Thursday, with highs rising back into the upper 80s. Morning lows will remain near 50 each night. Winds will be light except for light westerly to southwesterly breezes in the afternoon hours. Expect slightly cooler temperatures Friday through the coming weekend, but with no precipitation expected this week.

Forecast Table:

https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/wxtables/

Navigate on the map to your location and click for a detailed local forecast.

Discussion:

Last weekend turned out warmer than previously forecast, and with West Coast ridging rebuilding over the West, temperatures will rise back into the upper 80s Tuesday – Thursday. Déjà vu! Morning lows will be around 50 degrees each morning. Our dry continental climate allows for large variations between afternoon highs and morning lows (these are called diurnal temperature changes). These changes are particularly large when skies are clear, winds are light, and dew point temperatures are low. The greatest diurnal changes actually take place in local valleys where cold, dense air pools up at night. Dr. Mark Sinclair in our Department of Meteorology has reported diurnal changes at his home in Dewey/Humboldt up to 55 degrees the past couple of weeks!

Very slight cooling is anticipated Friday to Sunday as a slow-moving cut-off low is forecast to become embedded in the West Coast ridge and hopefully reduce the strength of subsidence over Arizona. Subsidence, or sinking motions, cause the air to sink and compress, further warming the air on the downwind side of a ridge. Skies should be mostly sunny this week, and only light breezes are expected in the afternoon hours.

By the early to middle part of next week, we may see further cooling as the upper-level cutoff low could open up and shift eastward across Arizona. If we are lucky…there might be some rain showers around the middle of next week as well. Here’s hoping!

C. James

--

Curtis N. James, Ph.D.

Professor of Meteorology

Department of Applied Aviation Sciences

Met Mail is an unofficial weather discussion and forecast transmitted once or twice a week via e-mail by the Embry-Riddle Department of Meteorology (http://meteo.pr.erau.edu/). Embry-Riddle offers an undergraduate bachelor-of-science degree program in Applied Meteorology. Please spread the word to all potential qualified candidates!

Further Information:

ERAU Applied Meteorology degree program

Official National Weather Service forecast

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube