Dangerous heat ahead this weekend in the Valley

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Sunny and noticeably hotter today in the Valley with a forecast high of 111 degrees this afternoon.

Today is the first in a stretch of a few dangerously hot days ahead for the Valley. As high pressure expands and strengthens over our region, temperatures heat up. In the Valley, we’ve declared Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to be First Alert weather days. Pay extra attention to your health during this heat wave. Drink extra water, limit time outdoors, and check on the vulnerable in our population. Monday, we’ve also got an Excessive Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will climb to 112-113 over the weekend and to near 114 on Monday. At this point, temperatures are only forecast to come down slightly by a degree or two Tuesday through Thursday of next week, staying slightly above 110 degrees each afternoon. Dry air advecting into the state from the southwest has meant a monsoon break for the past few days, but over the weekend, the proximity of the ridge of high pressure will begin to return some moisture to our atmosphere.

As a southeasterly flow slowly redevelops, storm potential climbs over the weekend, mainly in the higher elevations of our state. Blowing dust is possible in the Valley. By the middle of next week, enough moisture should be present to get a few more active days of storms. That means by Wednesday, we’ve got a chance for storms to move into the Valley. Storm chances should continue into the second half of next week.

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