Phoenix’s streak of daily heat records is expected to last all week

PHOENIX — With more scorching days on the horizon, the excessive heat warning for Phoenix has been extended at least through Friday.

Valley meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) have been scrambling to adjust with the history-defying heat wave.

They initially issued the excessive heat warning for last Wednesday-Sunday but extended it first to Tuesday and now at least through the workweek.

Ryan Worley, an NWS meteorologist, said Phoenix is seeing weather sizzling around 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year.

“It’s really abnormal how hot things have been,” Worley told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday.

Phoenix entered Monday on a five-day streak of daily heat records. That includes a high of 117 degrees on Saturday, the city’s hottest September temperature on record.

If the latest forecast turns out the be right, the streak of record highs will continue at least through Sunday.

How hot will October be in the Valley?

Although triple-digit temperatures aren’t unheard of in October, 110-degree temperatures have never spooked Phoenicians during the month of Halloween.

“As we switch the calendar over to October, we’re going to continue to see these well-above-normal temperatures,” Worley said.

In fact, the latest forecast projects that Tuesday’s high at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official readings, will be 111 degrees.

If that happens, it will mark a new moment in Phoenix’s heat history. There has never been a 110-degree day in Phoenix in October, according to NWS records.

“Prior to this heat wave, our previous latest 110-degree day was September 19th,” Worley said.

This was back in 2010.

However, Arizona’s most populous city extended that milestone each of the last five days through Sunday.

“Now, we keep pushing that back further and further,” Worley said. “We might see that in the first week of October.”

Furthermore, Friday’s heat is expected to rise to a high of 110 degrees. That would make it the latest 110-degree day in Phoenix history.

Monsoon season ending amid excessive heat warning in Phoenix

Monday marks the end of the monsoon season, which barring unexpected storm activity will be the seventh driest on record for Phoenix.

Final day of Monsoon 2024 & 0.74″ rainfall total at Sky Harbor airport ranked as 7th driest on record. Amounts in parts of West Valley were even lower (below 0.25″) while some areas in Scottsdale and N. Phoenix got between 1.50″ and 3.00″ totals. #azwx pic.twitter.com/MgWssQdhfH

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) September 30, 2024

“This will be our second monsoon in a row where we’ve seen well below normal precipitation,” he said. “We can’t seem to catch a break with all the heat and lack of rain during what should normally be our wet season.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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