Temperatures above normal but not records
Relief predicted for next week, with highs in the 90s
While the Yuma area is not expected to reach record highs this week, temperatures were about 12 degrees above normal on Monday.
Accuweather.com meteorologist Brian Edwards said that although Yuma hit only about 108 degrees Monday – just shy of the record high for the area at 112 degrees in 1980 – temperatures were above the average for the day, which is 96 degrees.
He said the higher temperatures can be attributed to a dip in the jet stream over the Central and Eastern parts of the country.
“When you get the dip in the jet stream in that area, the atmosphere likes to respond and it kind of pumps up in the West and when you get that everything warms. Everything tries to kind of equal out. The increase is in response to this big stormy weather pattern in the East which is going on.”
Edwards added that temperatures should gradually decline throughout the rest of the week.
• Tuesday - forecasted high: 105 degrees, average high: 96 degrees
• Wednesday - forecasted high: 102 degrees, average high: 96 degrees
• Thursday - forecasted high: 102 degrees, average high: 95 degrees
• Friday - forecasted high: 100 degrees, average high: 95 degrees
• Saturday - forecasted high: 100 degrees, average high: 94 degrees
Edwards predicted that by next week temperatures should begin to drop down into the 90 degree range.
“Next week it should cool off and get back to the normal high temperatures, or even a few degrees below normal,” he said. “It's that time of year where your normal temperatures are falling off about a degree every two to three days. They fall pretty quickly, so by the end of the month your normal high is around 85.”
Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.
