“Unseasonably High Temperatures Set to Hit California, Arizona, and Nevada This Week”
Temperatures are set to rise to seasonal highs along parts of the California coast, while some interior desert regions may experience record-breaking heat throughout the week due to an intensifying heat wave.
According to AccuWeather meteorologists, temperatures will surge to levels that could challenge records from the southwestern U.S. deserts to the California coastline. This increase in heat is also expected to heighten the risk of wildfires.
“A large zone of high pressure will expand across much of the West this week, allowing temperatures to rise well above historical averages, even along the typically cooler Pacific coast,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Haley Taylor. Normally, when temperatures rise in the interior West, a cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean helps moderate beach temperatures. However, this time, the winds will shift offshore, minimizing or eliminating the ocean’s cooling effect.
The San Francisco Bay Area will be one of the coastal hotspots this week. Following highs in the 60s Fahrenheit over the weekend, which were several degrees below average, temperatures are expected to climb into the 80s on Monday and soar into the 90s by Tuesday. The record high of 97 degrees, set in 1980, may be at risk of being surpassed. This heat wave is projected to bring the highest temperatures of the year to San Francisco, where the airport has only reached 88 degrees so far this summer.
Los Angeles will also experience increased temperatures, although they are expected to remain below the extreme highs seen earlier this month. On September 6, downtown Los Angeles reached 112 degrees, just one degree shy of tying the all-time record of 113 set on September 27, 2010. This week, high temperatures in downtown Los Angeles will generally be in the 80s, with potential peaks in the low 90s on Wednesday, about 5-10 degrees above historical averages.
Desert cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix will experience significant heat as well, with both locations forecasted to reach record-tying or record-breaking temperatures each day from Monday through Saturday. In Las Vegas, temperatures are expected to remain at or above 100 degrees through Friday, while Phoenix may see similar highs through Saturday, getting close to the all-time September high of 117 degrees recorded just days earlier.
Experts recommend that as temperatures rise, people should increase their intake of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids, especially when working or exercising outdoors.
The combination of high heat, low humidity, and dry vegetation creates ideal conditions for wildfires. People are advised to avoid open flames and exercise caution when using any outdoor equipment that could produce sparks.
“With stiff offshore breezes, there is an elevated risk of wildfires across Southern California, particularly in the mountains and foothills, through Wednesday,” Taylor noted. These breezes could potentially drive any fires that ignite toward coastal areas.
Currently, the ongoing Line, Bridge, and Airport fires have burned over 100,000 acres but are nearly fully contained. As of Saturday afternoon, the Line Fire had the lowest containment at 83%.
