Hot? Now THIS is Hot!

[Aslkahuna]

The premonsoon blast furnace has been stoked and fired up. With H5 heights as high as 600 Dm, it's gonna' get hot in the CA deserts and AZ this week. Highs will be in excess of 120F in the Mojave and Death Valley with DV reaching 124 or higher while they will be approaching 120F at such Garden Spots as Parker, Lake Havasu and Bullhead Cities. Other low desert locales such as Yuma, Quartzsite, Gila Bend and Buckeye will be in the 115-118F range as will such verdant locations as Metro Phoenix, Coolidge, Casa Grande. Tuscon is expecting a "cool" 111F while Sierra Vista at 4500' will be absolutely "cold" at 104-106F with the hotter locales in Cochise County reaching 110F. As the High moves across AZ from Baja, it will first scour out what moisture might be around (the dryline came through this afternoon triggering some dry boomers) and then once it sets up NE of us, mid level moisture will come in for more dry and probably severe boomers this weekend (such a pattern resulted in a damaging gustnado in the Walmart parking lot here in 1990 while in 1994, we had dust storms and high winds through out Cochise County as well as many lightning start fires).

Steve

[weatherlover427]

Yep, we are going to get a heat wave here too ... 90 possible in LA by Wednesday, 88 tomorrow, and 89 Thursday. :o This is it IMO.

[Stormsfury]

I saw MR outputs at 850mb from the ECMWF late last week and really turns on the heat for a large portion of the SW and also expanding into portions of the Great Plains as well ... with the heart of the secondary heat blast in KS ...

I remember about 10 years ago or so, maybe a little more. Death Valley reaching 130º before believe it or not, thunderstorms moved into that area and "cooled" them off down into the 90's ...

What's more amazing to me is not so much the high temperatures which on several occasions reach 120º or better in the Death Valley region, but the fact that the low temperatures forecast for there and the actual low temperatures have been warmer than much of the Eastern U.S. including Charleston, SC ... 120º-125º is downright hot... I believe Death Valley's normal is 116º for July... correct me if I'm wrong.

SF

[David]

Jeez, 90's is some people's LOW TEMPS. :o

Topeka is colling off a bit, but going back up....

[M2]

SF: yes, not only theirs but our lows at night too won't go below 100F
on many nights....and this is the main reason most of our state (AZ) does not
switch over to Daylight Savings Time. The rationale is that it's way too hot
during the sunlight hours and barely 'cools off' if you can call it that at night.
So why prolong the intense heat - at least give a break down to a nice
balmy 100 - and that's including humidity when the 'Soons get here too.
Hard to breathe. Can only live with A/C; forget swamp coolers.

[ColdFront77]

Interesting information about Arizona not switching to Daylight Savings Time. I thought it had something to do with the Native Americans that live in the state.

Thanks, M2.

[M2]

Tom, the Native Americans in AZ on some of the Reservations DO go on
DST - just not the rest of the state. So you're going down the right track

[azsnowman]

I can honestly say, this is a 1st for us up here on the mountain, a *Special Weather Statement* for the heat :o

WWUS85 KFGZ 081046 CCA
SPSFGZ
AZZ004>018-037>040-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ

345 AM MST TUE JUL 08 2003

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HEAT WAVE THIS WEEK...

A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE
WEATHER OVER ARIZONA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. THIS SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO BRING HOT TEMPERATURES AND DRY WEATHER TO THE NORTHLAND
THROUGH FRIDAY.

AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR ABOVE RECORD
LEVELS FOR MOST LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
SOME LOCATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF
THEIR ALL TIME RECORDS.

IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTSIDE...AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR STRENUOUS
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS TO AVOID DEHYDRATION.
WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT...LIGHT-COLORED...LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. WEAR A
HAT TO SHIELD YOURSELF FROM THE SUN. IF POSSIBLE...SPEND TIME IN AIR
CONDITIONED FACILITIES.

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS HEAT WAVE...CHECK THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HOME PAGE AT http://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/FLAGSTAFF...OR TUNE TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION.


Dennis :o

[Aslkahuna]

for AZ not going to DST had to do with agricultural interests not wanting it and since they controlled the State... But in later years, when the issue came up, it was voted down using the rationale that M2 mentioned-when it's 115F in the shade, who wants the Sun to set later in the evening clockwise? Also, the humidity in AZ during the monsoon is not appreciated. People see PHX with a temperature of 110F and 25% humidity and think "Dry" Heat without realizing that combination translates to a dewpoint of 68F which is hardly dry and a very common dewpoint value for Phoenix during the monsoon-as point in fact, the dewpoint in PHX has reached as high as 77F and Yuma? Forget dry! The dewpoint in Yuma frequnetly gets into the upper 70's and on occasion even the low 80's and I've had the mis fortune of being in the Imperial Valley when the dews were in the 80's-even here in Sierra Vista we've seen dews in the 70's which is not common at this elevation anywhere.

Steve

[Colin]

Wow...I thought the NWS wouldn't have to issue SPS like that since Arizona is pretty much used to the heat! :o Interesting info...

[Aslkahuna]

the Special Statement is for areas in the Mountains which are generally reasonably cool in the Summer due to elevation-also, by this time of year we usually have the monsoon and temperatures east of the Santa Ritas are considerably cooler than earlier in the Summer. Also, Arizonans are used to the heat when it's reasonable (or at least they cope) but 115+F is not reasonable. Try it sometime, you'll love it-for about 1.567 nanoseconds. I believe that EVERYONE in the US should come here when it's 115-120F in the shade (when you can find it-the Sun is very high in the sky here and natural shade is sparse) that way once they experience REAL heat they will never complain about the heat back east again.

Steve

[weatherlover427]

It's on its way everyone ... get ready! :o

[azsnowman]

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
630 AM MST WED JUL 09 2003

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HEAT WAVE THIS WEEK...

A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER
OVER ARIZONA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED
TO BRING HOT TEMPERATURES AND DRY WEATHER TO THE NORTHLAND THROUGH
SATURDAY.

AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR ABOVE RECORD
LEVELS FOR MOST LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA THROUGH SATURDAY.

RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY:

CITY HIGH PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH/YEAR

SEDONA 105(TIED) 105 IN 1985
ST. JOHNS 102 100 IN 1920


IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTSIDE...AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE OR STRENUOUS
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS TO AVOID DEHYDRATION.
WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT...LIGHT-COLORED...LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. WEAR A
HAT TO SHIELD YOURSELF FROM THE SUN. IF POSSIBLE...SPEND TIME IN AIR
CONDITIONED FACILITIES.

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS HEAT WAVE...CHECK THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HOME PAGE AT http://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/FLAGSTAFF...OR TUNE TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION.

[Aslkahuna]

hit 104F today while I had 103F and the radio station reported 105F in Sierra Vista (the July record in SV is 107F and FHU 108F) today. Since we are usually in the monsoon at this time of the month our normal highs are usually around 90F.

Steve

[azskyman]

I was at 113 today in my back yard. Shaded and sheltered sensor. I've pretty much verified that particular unit and location within a degree. Humidity, though was a low 7% earlier this evening. Dew points in the low 40's.

In my nearly six years here, the highest minimum was a 91...on a stuffy night with abundant cloud cover. Most mornings these days are running about 76 here.

People do get acclimated, though. Softball, T-Ball, Soccer and dog training all going on within a few blocks of our home at 7 pm tonight with a temperature of around 104F. Lots of grandmas and grandpa's cheering on their t-ballers just like they do in places much much cooler!

Getting acclimated is not the same as "loving the heat." Local TV interviewed a worker on the tarmack at Sky Harbor Airport who spends hours every day fueling and directing planes. Surface air temps are surely at 120 there. This poor fellow was trying to sound macho..."I don't mind it as long as I have water and ice. I don't wear a hat or long sleeved shirt to protect myself."

His body will surely reject his macho comments one of these days...

[Aslkahuna]

the World is full of idiots-like the woman in Phoenix some years ago who drank herself into a stupor while sunbathing and died from third degree burns-she literally roasted to death. People in hot climates wear long loose clothing and large brimmed hats when working out side for a reason, your airport worker will likely be a statistic in the most Skin Cancer prone region of the country.

Steve

[M2]

Yes I think I heard about that awhile back...Really though, if you're drinking
'libations' outside in the middle of the AZ summer, you'd also better be
using the other hand to pick up the water or iced teas to dilute and wash it
all down....evaporation from your body is happening pretty quickly and one
needs to drink non-alcoholic beverages almost continuously outside...

Acclimated? Nope - we all hang out in air conditioning all day, then get into
the hot cars that coooooool off with A/C, then home or out where the A/C
is snowing out the vents.... Sure, we're used to it The only people
you'll see out on the golf courses - or just outside anywhere - during the
summer are us local Zonies that live here

Hay Dennis, drive down here and french fry!

[Aslkahuna]

having that "Cold One" or ones while engaged in outdoor activities in the Summer heat is a bad idea anyway (unless it's cold water or tea) since alcohol also dehydrates the body and when you're losing water like crazy anyway the last thing you want to do is to speed up the dehydration. Also sugary drinks like sodas aren't good either because of the sugar content.

Steve

[Aslkahuna]

was 124F today.

Steve