Excessive heat watch issued for Yuma County

Maybe you can chalk it up as another one of those dog days of summer.

An excessive heat advisory for Yuma County will remain in effect from 10 a.m. today (Friday) through 8 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Well-above-normal heat is expected as a strong area of high pressure builds over the region and daytime high temperatures will range from 110 degrees to 114 degrees in Yuma and other parts of the state, according to forecasts.

"We're going to have a temporary decrease of moisture and it will allow the temperature to increase and climb up to the threshold that we key on," said Austin Jamison, meteorologist with the NWS in Phoenix. "The monsoon flow has backed off temporarily, but we expect the monsoon to return again to bring moisture to Arizona."

Today's (Friday's) high is expected to hit 112 degrees here with plenty of sun and an overnight low of 85 degrees.

Although daytime highs Saturday are forecast to be a few degrees cooler than today (Friday), temperatures will still be slightly above the 110-degree mark, according to NWS. Heat watches for this region are usually issued when daytime highs are expected to be above 110 degrees. The threshold for heat warnings is highs of 115 or more.

Jamison said Yuma will have a slight (10 percent) chance of a shower or thunderstorm starting Sunday. "Beyond that, at this point it looks like Monday through Wednesday there will be no chances of storms because the moisture might start to retreat again."

Excessive heat advisories have become commonplace this year for Yuma County.

So far this year, Yuma has had 18 days when excessive heat warnings were issued by NWS, Jamison said. In June alone, there were 14 excessive heat warnings alerting people about temperatures tipping above 110 degrees.

"That (the number of excessive heat warnings) is significantly above the average," Jamison said.

Weather forecast authorities advise that it would be wise to complete as much outdoor activity as possible in the early morning when the sun and heat are less intense.

Authorities also warn that individuals can suffer heat-related illnesses when the body can no longer cool itself. NWS advises that if you plan to be outside for extended periods of time, especially in the afternoon and early evening, stay in the shade as much as possible, drink abundant amounts of water and non-alcoholic beverages.

Wearing light-colored clothing, loose-fitting clothing or a wide-brimmed hat will keep your body much cooler, NWS authorities said. Also, individuals are recommended to spend more time in air-conditioned or well-ventilated places.

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Stephanie Sanchez can be reached at
ssanchez@yumasun.com or 539-6847.