PHOENIX -- The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Western Arizona Friday.
That watch covers Parker and Yuma in southwestern Arizona, as well as the deserts of south-central Arizona, including Most of Maricopa County and portions of Pinal County (Phoenix, Gila Bend and Casa Grande).
Arizonans begin the Labor Day weekend with high temperatures from 110 to 115 degrees. Forecast daytime highs include 111 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and 113 at Yuma and Blythe, Calif.
These will be the hottest temperatures we've seen in some time, and it's because of a strong high-pressure ridge that's building over the Southwest.
An influx of moisture from the south will drop those temperatures a bit come next week. While it probably won't be enough to give us any widespread thunderstorms in the high country, which looked possible earlier in the week, you will feel the increased humidity throughout the state.
That's not too surprising considering the monsoon runs through the end of the month.
As for the next several days, it's going to stay mostly sunny and warm through the weekend. Labor Day looks to be partly cloudy with a high of 102 degrees.
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