PHOENIX – The metro Phoenix weather forecast for the coming days calls for some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far.
“High temperatures across the lower deserts are going to range from about 104 to 108 degrees through Friday,” Matt Salerno of the National Weather Service in Phoenix told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday morning. “And then we’re going to see a pretty drastic heat-up this weekend.”
Highs are then expected to reach at least 110 degrees for the first time in 2025, prompting the NWS to issue an extreme heat watch for the Valley for Saturday-Monday.
“With that extreme heat watch, make sure that this weekend, especially if you have any outdoor plans, maybe you want to limit your time spent outdoors, because it’s going to be very hot out there,” Salerno said.
Will metro Phoenix weather cool off in near future?
Monday was Phoenix’s hottest day of the year so far, reaching 109 degrees at Sky Harbor International Airport, which the NWS uses for the city’s official readings.
Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to dip early next week but remain a few degrees above normal for this time of year.
“Once we peak on Sunday and Monday … there is a chance that we could see a dry weather system moving in by Tuesday as a trough of low pressure passes over us,” Salerno said. “That could cool us off back down a few degrees, but we’re still talking highs of 108-110, so it’s not going to be much of a cooldown overall.”
Heat alerts changed from ‘excessive’ to ‘extreme’
The NWS changed its heat alert terminology this year, switching from “excessive” to “extreme,” but the intention is the same as it was in the past.
Salerno said the change was made based on feedback from local partners and stakeholders.
“People wanted to just kind of have more of a heightened term as far as the wording goes, to say extreme heat because we’re kind of used to saying extreme heat, especially here in Phoenix,” Salerno explained.
A heat watch still means the NWS believes dangerous heat is possible, while warnings are issued when dangerous heat is happening or imminent.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.
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