Phoenix area on track to hit 90 degrees soon for first time in 2021

PHOENIX – Pull out the electric fans – the mercury is likely to surpass 90 degrees this week for the first time of the year, weather forecasters said Monday.

The high for the first workday of the week hit 89, but the temperatures could possibly go as high as around 96 degrees on Saturday.

Don’t start shrieking that it’s too early for such heat, either.

“Our average first 90-degree day is March 31,” National Weather Service Phoenix meterologist Isaac Smith told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“[This] is right around normal for us to see our first 90-degree day.”

Even if #Phoenix doesn’t reach 90+ °F Monday, 90+ °F is likely within the next 7 days, which will be near normal for the first of the calendar year. This scatter plot shows the distribution of first 90+ °F thru Phoenix’s period of record (1896-2020) along with averages. #azwx pic.twitter.com/b23a7DUXn6

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) March 29, 2021

The heat is supposed to slip to 86 degrees Tuesday and then start climbing to 89 on Wednesday, close to 93 on Thursday, and 94 on Friday before the near-century mark looms Saturday.

Still, 85 degrees is above normal too, the agency said.

Smith added the weather would cool down again next week, dropping to the low and mid-80s after a Sunday that is expected to sweat out 93 degrees.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Luke Forstner contributed to this report.

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