Tucson Braces For Hotter-Than-Normal Heat And Fire Concerns This Week

TUCSON, AZ — A hotter and breezier week is ahead for southeastern Arizona, with the possibility of relief arriving just in time for the weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting afternoon highs to stay near current levels today before climbing 4 to 8 degrees above normal from Tuesday through the weekend. For Tucson and surrounding communities, that means a stretch of well-above-average heat through the week.

Afternoon winds will accompany the heat, according to forecasters. Southwesterly winds of 12 to 18 mph are expected each afternoon through midweek, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph.

That combination of wind, heat and low humidity is raising fire weather concerns, particularly in the valleys of Graham County where winds will be somewhat stronger. Elevated fire weather conditions are possible each afternoon through Thursday.

The pattern begins to shift later in the week. A subtropical ridge building into the Desert Southwest will bring increasing atmospheric moisture by the weekend, with some forecast models showing moisture levels potentially reaching 150 to 200 percent of normal.

That could be enough to produce isolated showers and thunderstorms, though chances remain modest for now, in the 10 to 25 percent range.

Forecasters cautioned that the weekend outlook could still change as the moisture pattern develops over the next several days.

For now, Tucson residents can expect a warmer-than-normal week with breezy afternoons and a chance the weekend brings something other than sunshine.