https://pixabay.com/photos/death-valley-valley-of-death-277020/
Over the upcoming days, all-time record high temperatures will be challenged across portions of the West. Daytime highs from Washington to Arizona can range upwards of 100 Fahrenheit, with some desert Southwest locations soaring above 115 daily.
On Friday, the heat record for the day was set in Death Valley. The mercury climbed to 127 Fahrenheit with the old mark of 122 last tied in 2013. The area hit 130 in July 2021 with the disputed record 134 in July 1913.
Also there a record high for the date of 118 in Needles, Calif., where the National Weather Service has records dating to 1888. The high of 122 edged the old mark of 121 in 2007.
And it was 124 in Palm Springs.
Around 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week.
Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast could reach 100 degrees , said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. And the humidity will be high.
Factors such as a recent lack of rainfall, low relative humidity levels and stifling temperatures will create an elevated wildfire threat.The harsh conditions can dramatically raise the risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
An expansive heat wave is projected to continue across the Western states through at least early week, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The pattern of intense and elevated temperatures plaguing the region is largely due to an amplified ridge in the jet stream anchoring high pressure over it with a consistent flow of warmth from the south.
“The large and expansive heat dome across the western United States will bring record heat from the deserts of Southern California stretching northward all the way into the Pacific Northwest,” explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Daytime highs will soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit across portions of Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington and even Idaho.
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Pydynowski highlighted that cities such as Seattle will challenge their daily records Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The heat can be particularly dangerous in some cities west of the Cascades in western Washington, such as Seattle, Olympia and Port Angeles, where many people and homes do not have air conditioning.
Across the central valleys of California and the desert and basin regions of the Southwest, highs persisting above 110 and even 115 will be conceivable over the upcoming days.
“The all-time record of 117 in Las Vegas could be broken Sunday, and daily records in Vegas could be challenged or broken nearly every day from today through at least next Thursday,” noted Pydynowski.
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Copious amounts of sunshine will continue to expand across the West through at least midweek, providing little relief for residents in terms of any shade gleaming from cloud cover. In the heart of the Southwest, locations like Las Vegas and Phoenix are forecast to have max ultraviolet (UV) index levels categorized as extreme for much of this week, ranging between 11 and 12.
At UV levels such as these, protection against sun damage is necessary for anyone outdoors during the midday hours. Items such as sunscreen, a hat, and loose-fitting and light-colored clothing are recommended in these situations.
Excessive heat warnings have been issued across the West, with many warnings lasting through at least midweek. The record-challenging heat will continue to pose a risk for anyone working outdoors, particularly during the prime heating hours of the daytime from mid-morning through the afternoon.
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Forecasters say that a slight nudge in the pattern early this week will result in some cooling along the West coast, while locations farther inland will continue to bake in the heat.
“Some relief is in sight for early next week as the heat dome shifts eastward, promoting a dip in temperatures along the Pacific coast. Temperatures in cities near the Pacific coast, including San Francisco and Oakland, California, are expected to dip to near historical averages for July,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Elizabeth Danco.
Danco added that as the core of the heat dome shifts eastward into the Great Basin this week, dry conditions will again be coupled with all-time record highs from interior California into parts of southern Nevada and western Arizona.
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There are currently 41 active fires across Oregon and 20 active fires in California. Forecasters warn that the ongoing heat wave and drier pattern will not improve wildfire conditions across the West.
“The heat combined with dry brush and low relative humidity across the region will continue to promote the risk for wildfires to start and spread. Individuals are urged to exercise caution when using open flames and to adhere to any bans that may be in effect,” highlighted Danco.
Although surface winds will generally be light across the majority of the West over the upcoming days, isolated gusts up to 30-40 mph may occur from areas spanning from southern Idaho to eastern Nevada, Utah and northern Arizona, which can cause any active fires to readily spread and pose challenges for firefighting crews.
The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which begins this week on Thursday. All the reports coming out are saying that they want to trade out of the pick to acquire more draft picks.
But what does a trade look like and who could be involved?
The Kansas City Chiefs are involved in talks at some level. ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects trade talks to heat up this week.
NFL teams use a variation of a trade value chart when it comes to draft picks. Now, what a team actually is willing to give up can be influenced by potential competition with other teams, but we can’t count on that.
Here is the general trade value chart teams use.
Here are some potential deals that could be done.
The Chiefs have two first-round picks, which would be appealing to the Cardinals, who reportedly want to make a move for quarterback Ty Simpson, and the 29th pick might be just the spot to get him.
The third overall pick is worth 514 points.
The Chiefs’ picks at No. 9 (387 points) and No. 29 (202 points) together are worth 589.
To make up the difference, the Cardinals could give up No. 65 (78 points) for a total of 592 points.
One deal could be:
Another could be:
The Cardinals keep their third-round pick and the Chiefs essentially move back five spots from No. 29.
The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks but no pick in the second round.
Pick No. 12 is 347 points and No. 20 is 269 for a total of 616.
This deal is close:
The Saints are perhaps a dark horse to move up, although they do not have two first-round picks. They have the No. 8 pick, worth 406 points. Their second-round pick, at No. 42, is worth 142 points.
This deal could work:
Then the Cardinals could use their two second-round picks to then move back into Round 1 to get Ty Simpson.
They could trade No. 34, No. 42 and No. 65 (395 points) for No. 28, No. 38 and No. 106 (398 total points).
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
PHOENIX — Breezy winds kicked up a blanket of dust across the Valley on Sunday, and forecasters say more is on the way this week.
Visibility in Phoenix became so bad on Sunday that Sky Harbor airport stopped flights for over an hour
The wind and dust peaked Sunday afternoon and gradually improved into the evening, said Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
“You might’ve seen the mountains a bit obscured in the distance,” Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “A lot of haze in the air.”
By Monday morning, skies had largely cleared and dust levels near the ground had dropped significantly.
The relief may be short-lived.
ADEQ is watching for increased afternoon breezes Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, this time from the west and southwest. Though the winds are expected to be weaker than Sunday’s, Graves said forecasters cannot rule out dust.
“I wouldn’t say windstorm,” Graves said. “I would just say we’ve got some waves coming in. They’re going to increase our afternoon breeziness.”
It’s enough to kick up dry, exposed dirt, which could create pockets of dust. There is a slight chance of broader regional dust transport, Graves said.
It will impact people with asthma, COPD or respiratory conditions the most. Graves advised those with issues to monitor conditions and stay indoors during the dustiest hours.
“If you’re going to be outside, be outside during the times when it’s less dusty or hazy,” Graves said.
Graves noted that spring weather systems typically pass to the north of the Phoenix area, delivering wind and slight temperature drops but little to no rain, a pattern likely to continue.
KTAR News reporter Kellen Shover contributed to this report.
The University of Arizona and Tucson are known for yearlong warm weather, but when is it too much? With temperature reaching record highs in March, the city of Tucson has already reported increased temperatures for this year.
In the wake of the third annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit, integrating voices throughout the City of Tucson, community stakeholders and experts from UA gather to speak about possible solutions and policies to address rising temperatures and extreme heat.
The summit strives to ensure that the lived experiences of Southern Arizona residents are voiced. The first summit commenced in 2024, in response to the declaration of an extreme heat emergency in Arizona by Gov. Katie Hobbs, as part of a larger plan called Arizona’s Extreme Heat Response Plan.
With representation from organizations such as the American Red Cross, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Arizona Jobs with Justice, Tucson Indian Center and many more, the summit emphasized the importance of the perspective and concerns of stakeholder groups throughout the community.
The summit included a variety of UA experts, including faculty representing the School of Geography, Development and Environment; the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy; the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.
One particular project, led by Ladd Keith at the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, is a part of the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory, which is funded by the United States’ Department of Energy to explore extreme heat throughout Arizona. SW-IFL works in collaboration with other national laboratories including those at ASU and NAU.
The team works to analyze extreme heat in the southwest and rural areas, and how communities deal with heat by conducting interviews. The team has also prescribed policy to Pima County and the City of Tucson regarding more effective strategies to combat rising temperatures, such as green stormwater infrastructure.
Anne-Lise Boyer, a post-doctoral researcher with the Climate Assessment for the Southwest, shared that the team particularly analyzed extreme heat in three parts: heat mitigation, heat management and heat governance.
Mitigation deals with prevention through strategies such as green infrastructure and planting trees, while management includes cooling sensors and heat warning systems. Governance allows these measures to be enacted through policy.
In Tucson, some of the most meaningful work the team has engaged in has been drafting the City of Tucson’s Heat Action Roadmap in 2024, which outlines goals to mitigate and mandate extreme heat and its impacts while prioritizing community voices.
The goals of the roadmap include informing and educating citizens of Tucson on the adverse effects of extreme heat and cooling people’s homes and neighborhoods by incorporating heat risk in regional planning. These steps are essential to practicing heat management, especially as the city of Tucson grows.
“I think the most interesting thing about being based in Tucson is that because the heat has been here for a long time, it’s like a laboratory in itself,” Boyer said. “We have all this research and all this collaboration happening with local actors because it’s a pressing issue in Arizona.”
As the annual heat summit recurs, new ideas and perspectives continue to be shared throughout the community. Boyer shared that this year, the Southern Arizona Heat Summit focused on the youth perspective, highlighting middle school and high school students and how heat impacts their everyday lives. Many students spoke about how heat shaped their lives at home, school and sports.
“That’s one of the goals, to have community members participate and give their input in how they wish the city will deal with the heat,” Boyer said.
Boyer and Kirsten Lake, a program coordinator for the SW-IFL team, also shared how the impacts of extreme heat impact some neighborhoods and communities in Tucson more than others, and that their research often evaluates these factors to determine where heat management efforts would make the greatest impact.
“Its important when you’re putting into effect some of these measures, that you make sure you put it where it’s going to make the biggest difference,” Lake said.
The work of the SW-IFL team is not just locally known. The Brookhaven National Lab based in New York deployed a specialized truck to Tucson to collect information on the atmosphere and rising temperatures. The SW-IFL team hosted the Brookhaven team.
Additionally, Keith’s work has led to a guidebook called “Planning for Urban Heat Resilience” which focuses on the adverse effects extreme heat poses to marginalized communities across the country.
“It is so different from place to place and neighborhood to neighborhood because you have to take the whole context into account,” Boyer said. “They recommend first to document the heat impacts in your communities.”
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