In Southwest desert cities, residents mired in heat wave

PHOENIX — Even Southwestern desert residents accustomed to scorching summers are feeling the grip of an extreme heat wave smacking Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California this week with 100-degree-plus temps and excessive heat warnings.

To add insult to injury, the region has been left high and dry with no monsoon activity, which can help offset the blazing temperatures. In Arizona, the monsoon season officially began June 15 and can bring powerful storms with high winds, lightning, and heavy bursts of rain.

The heat has made parts of Phoenix feel like a ghost town. Sunset concerts were canceled, and covered restaurant patios equipped with cooling misters sit empty.

In recent years, Phoenix has taken various actions to limit risks for heat-related illness. When the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning, three of the city's most popular hiking trails close from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, Phoenix was poised to hit a 12th consecutive day of 110 degrees or higher, according to the National Weather Service. The longest recorded stretch was 18 days in 1974.

The high pressure needed to generate monsoon storms just isn’t in the right position, according to state climatologist Erinanne Saffell, so metro Phoenix is left with below normal precipitation levels and dry conditions that facilitate hotter temperatures. Also, some experts believe this year’s heavier snowpack in the West took more energy to melt, prolonging the progression of a highpressure system this summer.

“It just kind of delayed everything,” Saffell said.

Las Vegas could also see the mercury reach between 110 and 115 degrees this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. In Albuquerque, temperatures were forecast to be between 100 and 103 Fahrenheit on Tuesday with a heat advisory in effect all day. Inland areas of Southern California are predicted to see conditions peak between 100 and 113 degrees from Friday through Sunday.