(Bloomberg) — The record-breaking heat across Phoenix and the US Southwest will finally end this week, with temperatures plummeting more than 20F (11C) degrees by this weekend.
From Sept. 24 to October 13, Phoenix set new daily high temperature records as well as all-time highs for both months, according to the National Weather Service. Matching Phoenix almost step-for-step, Tucson has posted daily record highs from Sept. 25 through Sunday.
An area of high pressure has been stuck in place over the Great Basin, mainly Nevada and Utah, baking the entire Southwest, said Chris Rasmussen, a weather service meteorologist in Tucson. The heat wave is forecast to end this week and highs in Phoenix may fall to 78F by Saturday, a marked decline from the triple-digit temperatures that have dominated since September.
“There is a pretty strong weather system pushing into the area that is going to cool things down and bring a 50% chance of showers,” Rasmussen said in an interview. “It’s going to be pretty substantial.”
The heat has raised the risk of abnormally dry conditions across Arizona and the Southwest. More than 45% of the state is under drought, compared with 20% at the start of June, the US Drought Monitor said. The high temperatures and dry conditions have further taxed a region that has struggled in recent years with dwindling water resources and rising energy demand to keep cool.
In addition to the highs in Phoenix, Las Vegas has posted 12 new daily records since September and a new October all-time high of 104F. Death Valley in California also set a new October high with a reading of 114F.
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