Cool! Valley temperatures expected to drop through weekend after hot start to spring

PHOENIX – The Valley is heading into the weekend on a cooling trend that could result in below-normal temperatures for the first time this spring.

“We’re looking at a weather disturbance moving slowly toward Arizona. So, temperatures will only slowly cool through the weekend. But we are looking for much more seasonal weather as we head into early next week,” Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday.

The latest Phoenix forecast calls for highs in the 90s on Thursday and Friday, around 10 degrees above the normal mid-80s range for this time of year.

But temperatures will then dip, making it a good weekend for outdoor activities. And by early next week, Phoenix could see highs in the 70s for the first time since March 10, when it was still winter.

“Through the weekend, high temperatures will decrease from the middle and upper 80s down into the lower 80s. … There’s a chance that high temperatures on Monday and Tuesday of next week will even struggle to reach 80 degrees,” O’Malley said.

The cooling trend is a welcome development after a record hot March.

Is there any rain in the Phoenix forecast?

Higher elevations in central Arizona could get rain over the weekend, but the Phoenix area will likely just see breezy conditions.

“Be prepared for a little bit of wind during the afternoon hours, and if you have any lawn chairs or anything else outside, you might want to bring those in for Sunday, when winds will be the strongest,” O’Malley said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s John Roller contributed to this report.

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