The season’s first big heat wave will bring scorching temperatures and high wildfire risk to parts of the Southwestern U.S. this week. An AccuWeather forecast says the warming trend will bring rising temperatures to parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming through Friday.
High-temperature records will be challenged, with temps forecast to climb between five and 20 degrees above historical averages. AccuWeather meteorologists say a bulge in the jet stream due to high pressure building in the atmosphere and a storm offshore from California will allow the heat to build without any showers or thunderstorms in much of the West. Millions of people in the Southwest will feel the intense heat this week.
“Locations throughout California’s interior Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys will match or set daily record highs through the week,” says AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny. Highs of 110 degrees or higher are possible.