Tucson Cooldown Brings Strong Winds And Rising Fire Risk

TUCSON, AZ — A brief cooldown is on the way for Tucson, but it comes with a catch.

A strong weather system moving into central California will push cooler temperatures and gusty winds into Southeast Arizona starting Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Tucson.

Afternoon highs in Tucson are expected to drop into the lower 90s Wednesday and Thursday, about 3 to 6 degrees below normal. Far western Pima County will feel it even more sharply, with readings in the lower-to-mid 80s and temperatures running 10 to 14 degrees below normal.

The bigger concern is the wind. Forecasters are calling for southwest gusts up to 35 mph, especially from Tucson west, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Those winds, combined with extremely dry air, are raising fire weather concerns across the region. Minimum relative humidity is forecast to drop as low as 7 to 18 percent in the valleys, conditions forecasters described as elevated to near-critical for fire weather Wednesday and Thursday.

The cooldown won't last long. Models are trending toward a strong ridge of high pressure building back into the Desert Southwest by early next week, which would push temperatures back up significantly.

There is also a chance that the setup could eventually draw moisture into eastern parts of the region and trigger afternoon showers and thunderstorms, though forecasters said that picture remains uncertain for now.

No watches, warnings, or advisories are currently in effect for the Tucson area.