Strong high pressure has prompted the issuance of an Extreme Heat Warning by the National Weather Service for today and Wednesday for the lower elevations of eastern Pima County with only a subtle downtrend in temperatures the latter half of the week. Meanwhile, atmospheric moisture content is expected to trend upward with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday over the mountains (best chance Thursday). Thus, there is some potential for gustiness from distant storms on those days. Otherwise, winds will follow familiar warm season patterns through Wednesday before southwesterly breezy to windy conditions take hold in the afternoons Thursday through Saturday.

Daily average PM10 levels are expected to remain in the Good range aided by warm season ventilation. Of note, there will be short lived periods in the mornings with somewhat elevated readings as commercial activity starts up before the morning inversion dissipates. Also, afternoon winds may be strong enough to kick up some localized pockets of dust as early as Wednesday but not enough to raise the daily average into the Moderate range.


- A. Jamison
ADEQ Meteorologist