Pumpkins are melting: Phoenix records latest ever day to top 100 degrees
Oct 27, 2016, 2:43 PM | Updated: Oct 28, 2016, 11:16 am
Alycia McCauley puts facepaint on her 15-month-old daughter, Scarlett Fout, as Brittany Chartrand holds her for an outdoor photo at a pumpkin patch in Glendale, Ariz., on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. In Arizona, jack-o'-lanterns may not be the only things face-melting this Halloween. The state is in the midst of a heat wave that has made October one of the hottest in years, including the latest ever day to see a temperature of at least 100 degrees. (AP Photo/Terry Tang)
(AP Photo/Terry Tang)
PHOENIX — The calendar says it’s fall. People in other parts of the country are wearing sweaters and coats and digging out mufflers and boots, but here in Phoenix, we’re all still sweating.
The National Weather Service recorded a high temperature of 100 degrees on Thursday, making Oct. 27 the latest ever day to see such heat.
Sorry everyone, we've hit 100 (so far). #azwx pic.twitter.com/2sUZqkh7jE
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) October 27, 2016
The old record was set Oct. 23, 2003.
Thursday’s record will likely be followed by another: Should temperature forecasts prove correct, the Phoenix area will close out 26 straight October days with temperatures above 90 degrees on Sunday.
“We’re running about 3 degrees above normal for the month,” Chris Kuhlman with the weather service said.
The record for the longest October stretch with days above 90 degrees was set back in 1952, when the mercury topped 90 for 25 straight days.
A high-pressure ridge is the culprit behind the latest heat. Centered just west of the southern Baja peninsula of Mexico, it stretches north through Arizona and into Utah. The ridge is expected to heat things up through the weekend before moving east early next week.
Arizonans are taking the heat into account when it comes to Halloween activities such as finding the perfect pumpkin. At Tolmachoff Farms in Glendale, the pumpkin patch is shaded, but there was no escaping the sun for those checking out the petting zoo, gardens and mini train. Several parents didn’t seem to mind the temperature while trying to get a festive photo.
Owner Bill Tolmachoff, who has been running the pumpkin patch for 20 years, said crowds definitely pick up in the evening. He thinks people may have procrastinated because of the heat.
“People are now thinking ‘We’ve got to do this. It’s not going to cool off,” Tolmachoff said.
Taylor Badger, 17, of Glendale, who was snapping photos of the hay-and-pumpkin scenery, said it felt strange to be doing Halloween activities in summer clothes.
“I remember being a little kid and carving pumpkins wearing long sleeves and pants,” said Badger, who was wearing a denim skirt. “It’s just not like that anymore.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
