Haunting heat: Phoenix sets record for number of October days above 90 degrees
Oct 31, 2016, 10:02 AM | Updated: 11:23 am
A woman relaxes next to Tempe Town Lake as temperatures are expected to break records again in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona is in the midst of a heat wave that has made October one of the hottest on records. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — You might not have noticed it, but Phoenix continued to stay warm over the weekend.
So warm, in fact, that the city set a record for the number of days in October that saw highs of 90 degrees or warmer.
Sunday marked the 26th day this month that the mercury topped 90. The old record, 25 days, was set back in 1952.
Not so good news…today was the 26th consecutive day 90° or warmer in #Phoenix. That streak ends tomorrow on #Halloween! #azwx
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) October 31, 2016
Phoenix also set a heat record Saturday, when the National Weather Service reported a temperature of 96 degrees at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. That topped the old record of 95 set back in 2007.
A high-pressure ridge is the culprit behind the latest heat. Centered just west of the southern Baja peninsula of Mexico, it stretched north through Arizona and into Utah. The ridge was expected to heat things up through the weekend before moving east early this week.
As that high pressure moves away, temperatures will drop. The weather service is calling for a high of 84 degrees on Monday and highs are expected to remain in the low 80s all week.
Things will heat up slightly this weekend, as highs on Saturday and Sunday are expected to be closer to 90 degrees.
KTAR’s Jim Cross and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
