The Weather Channel rates Yuma hottest city in Southwest

Anyone who has ever stepped foot inside the city limits of Yuma knows that it is hot. Now, our hometown is receiving national recognition for its frequent triple-digit temperatures.

Yuma was named the No. 1 hottest city in the “America's Top 6 Hottest Cities” contest that was recently conducted by the Weather Channel.

Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist for the Weather Channel, explained that the cities chosen were selected in six regions ordered by temperature and were also based off average high temperature for the past 30 years in the months of June, July and August. It was also restricted to cities with populations of 50,000 or higher, he said.

Erdman commented that if they didn't divide up the cities up by region (Southwest, South-central, Southeast, Northeast, Northwest and Midwest, excluding Alaska and Hawaii), all of the winners would most likely be located in Arizona or Texas.

Back in January, he said, they had a contest for “America's Top 6 Coldest Cities” and so they felt it was time to make a list of the hottest cities come summertime.

“I didn't have a tough decision to make when I look at the data,” he said about choosing Yuma as No. 1.

Laredo, Texas, came in second but Erdman said that “Yuma blew Laredo out of the water” with a skyrocketing amount of triple-digit temperature days, with Yuma averaging 114 days of 100 degrees or higher and Laredo averaging 68 days.

But, he added, on average Laredo begins seeing 90-degree days earlier in the season than Yuma does, noting that Laredo will begin to see 90 degree weather as early as Valentine's Day or President's Day, while Yuma generally starts to see them in March.

“Yuma typically sees at least 90 percent of possible sunshine each year, one of the sunniest locations in the U.S,” he said. “Only roughly three inches of rain falls the entire year in Yuma. Other parts of the country may see three inches of rain in just a few hours in the spring and summer months.”

Erdman also commented that since 1878, Yuma has experienced temperatures 120 degrees or higher seven times.

“From July through September, increasing surface moisture from the Gulf of California and aloft from the Gulf of Mexico trigger afternoon and evening thunderstorms in the Desert Southwest,” he concluded. “Even when summer thunderstorms don't bring rain, the increase in humidity, coupled with even average heat can make the air feel as thick and oppressive as the Gulf Coast.”