No surprises in Memorial Day forecast for Phoenix: Seasonably hot and dry
Temperatures were expected to fluctuate from the upper 90s to the lower 100s by the end of the week and into the weekend. The forecast was on-brand for the region this time of year: hot, dry and cloudless skies.
'It's going to be seasonably hot,' said Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix. 'Temperatures will peak Thursday around 105 degrees, then cool down to near normal in the upper 90s by Saturday. By Memorial Day, we're expecting around 100 to 103 degrees.'
Rain chances were nonexistent, also typical for this time of year, which is climatologically the driest.
It's a forecast that echoes the vast majority of Memorial Days in Phoenix, where the long weekend means heat, sun and rarely any rain. But there have been a few outliers over the last 100 years, from scorching to unseasonably mild.
Here's how Memorial Day weekend has looked in years past, with heat waves, surprise showers and everything in between.
Summer outlook: Arizona's monsoon is critical for wildfires, drought. Why is it so hard to predict?
Phoenix's hottest Memorial Day on record was in 1910 when the thermometer hit 114 degrees. The record still stands as an all-time high for the holiday over a century later.
In recent years, triple digits have been common. Normal high temperatures for Memorial Day range from 98 to 100 degrees. Last year, the holiday high hit 102.
The coolest high on record was 79 degrees in 1988 and 2019.
Overnight lows on Memorial Day in Phoenix typically land between 72 and 75 degrees, providing modest relief from the early-season heat.
But there have been exceptions. In 1918, the temperature dipped to 51 degrees, the coldest Memorial Day morning on record.
But 1983 brought the warmest overnight low at 81 degrees, meaning Phoenix residents likely woke up sweating before the sun even rose.
Dusty skies: After months of dry weather, could strong winds spread valley fever fungus in Phoenix?
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and it's also the driest stretch of the year in Phoenix.
Rain over the holiday is uncommon — only six of the last 129 Memorial Days have seen trace amounts of precipitation, according to the weather service.
The average rainfall for the holiday is between zero and 0.01 of an inch at Sky Harbor Airport, so this weekend's dry forecast is on par for the season. The most rainfall recorded was 0.14 of an inch on May 28, 1990.
But Whittock still urged caution to residents and visitors to stay hydrated and avoid activities that could spark wildfires.
'It's not going to be particularly windy, but it's definitely going to be hot and dry,' he said. 'This is climatologically our driest time of the year, so fire weather is always a concern.'
Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email her with story tips at hayleigh.evans@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Memorial Day weather forecast for Phoenix brings hot temperatures
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Hurricane Erin forces Outer Banks vacationers to evacuate as monster storm nears North Carolina
Holly Andrzejewski hadn't yet welcomed her and her family's first guests to the Atlantic Inn on Hatteras Island when she had to start rescheduling them, as Hurricane Erin neared North Carolina's Outer Banks on Tuesday and threatened to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds. Although the monster storm is expected to stay offshore, evacuations were ordered on such barrier islands along the Carolina coast as Hatteras as authorities warned the storm could churn up dangerous rip currents and swamp roads with waves of 15 feet (4.6 meters). Andrzejewski and her husband purchased the bed-and-breakfast, known as the oldest inn on the island, less than a week ago. 5 Homes along the Atlantic Coast in Dare County, N.C., are seen on Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of expected impacts from Hurricane Erin. AP By Monday, they had brought in all the outdoor furniture and made sure their daughter and her boyfriend, who are the innkeepers, had generators, extra water, and flashlights as they stayed behind to keep an eye on the property. 'It's just one of those things where you know this is always a possibility, and it could happen, and you just make the best out of it. Otherwise, you wouldn't live at the beach,' said Andrzejewski, who will also remain on the island, at her home about a 15-minute drive away. Erin lashed part of the Caribbean with rain and wind on Monday. Forecasters are confident it will curl north and away from the eastern U.S., but tropical storm and surge watches were issued for much of the Outer Banks. Officials at Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina, reported to the National Weather Service rescuing at least 60 swimmers from rip currents on Monday. By early Tuesday, Erin had lost some strength from previous days but was still a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. 5 Forecasters are confident that Hurricane Erin will curve north and away from the eastern U.S., but tropical storm and surge watches were issued for much of the Outer Banks. AP It was about 665 miles (1,070 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda and 720 miles (1,155 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving northwest at a slower 7 mph (11 kph). A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands, where government services were suspended, some ports were closed, and residents were ordered to stay home. On North Carolina's Outer Banks, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday. The evacuations on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke came at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that jut into the Atlantic Ocean and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges. 5 Signs restricting beach access were posted in Dare County, North Carolina, ahead of Hurricane Erin's impacts. AP A year ago, Hurricane Ernesto stayed hundreds of miles offshore yet still produced high surf and swells that caused coastal damage. This time, there are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds, and waves could wash out parts of the main highway. Some routes could be impassable for days. This is the first evacuation for Ocracoke since Hurricane Dorian in 2019 caused the most damage in the island's recorded history. 5 This image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Erin on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. AP Tommy Hutcherson, who owns the community's only grocery store, said the island has mostly bounced back. He's optimistic this storm won't be as destructive. 'But you just never know. I felt the same way about Dorian, and we really got smacked,' he said. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. 5 The evacuations on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke (seen above) came at the height of tourist season, according to reports. AP Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly. Bermuda will experience the most severe threat Thursday evening, said Phil Rogers, director of the Bermuda Weather Service. By then, waters could swell up to 24 feet (7 meters). 'Surfers, swimmers, and boaters must resist the temptation to go out. The waters will be very dangerous and lives will be placed at risk,' acting Minister of National Security Jache Adams said.
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
What is Hurricane Erin projected path? NOAA storm tracker map, spaghetti models, weather radar
Beachgoing Indiana tourists should pay close attention to Hurricane Erin on Tuesday as large waves and rough surf are predicted to pound the Atlantic Coast from Central Florida to Canada. North Carolina is on high alert, as the popular vacation location of Dare County is under a state of emergency. The county's website reports a permanent population of about 37,000 — but the population balloons from June through August to about 225,000 to 300,000. Here's what you need to know from the NOAA's National Hurricane Center if you have East Coast travel plans: This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts. Hurricane Erin live updates: Storm starts rough slog up US East Coast Dangerous conditions in the surf zone with large, breaking waves are forecast from East Central Florida to Canada's Atlantic Coast beginning Tuesday, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan has warned. Brennan is pleading with U.S. residents to take Erin's potential coastal impacts seriously, even though the nation will be spared a direct landfall. Offshore wave heights could exceed 20 to 30 feet. High tides are also expected to bring higher-than-normal water levels further southward along the coast, the weather service has warned. "It's not going to be a safe environment to be in the ocean," Brennan said, adding that even when the weather may be pleasant on shore, dangerous and possibly life-threatening rip currents could be lurking in the water. Because of its slow movement, coastal areas of North Carolina are expected to feel the brunt of the ocean's impacts for several days, according to the weather service office in Newport/Morehead City. Mandatory evacuations were issued Aug. 18 for Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. At its closest point, Erin is forecast to be about 200 miles off Cape Hatteras. Erin's mean diameter at 11 p.m. on Aug. 18 was roughly 355 miles, but the storm was creating 10-foot seas across an area of the Atlantic Ocean roughly 645 miles in diameter, according to hurricane center data. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center, with the greatest distance on the eastern side of the storm. Further south along the North Carolina coast, emergency officials rescued at least 60 people caught in rip currents and heavy surf on Aug. 18 in Wrightsville Beach, prompting a "no swimming" advisory through Friday. Evacuations were underway along parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks, a big draw for vacationers every summer. With Hurricane Erin's expected storm surge and waves of over 10 feet, the National Weather Service was urging people to stay out of the ocean to avoid deadly surf conditions expected through at least Thursday. Officials in Dare County warned that roads, including the main exit route, could soon be overwhelmed by water. "Dare County remains under a State of Emergency and a Mandatory Evacuation order is in effect for Hatteras Island," the county posted on social media. "Please note that N.C. Hwy. 12 may be impassable by August 19 at 5 p.m." The hurricane center warned that storm surge could cause the water to rise 2 to 4 feet above dry ground along the Outer Banks as Erin pushes northward. In neighboring Hyde County, a mandatory evacuation order went into effect Tuesday for Ocracoke Island. In addition to Erin, the hurricane center said it is also keeping an eye on a tropical wave located over the eastern tropical Atlantic that is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Following behind Erin is yet another tropical wave that's given a 60% chance of becoming a tropical storm over the next seven days, the hurricane center said. A third disturbance just moved off the West African coast, but it's expected to encounter hostile conditions that may limit its further development. Thunderstorms are possible at times across Central Indiana today and across southern portions of the area this evening, according to a NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook. Isolated severe storms with damaging winds are possible, mainly this afternoon. Hot and humid conditions continue this afternoon — especially over southern portions of Indiana, where heat indices will reach into the 100- to 105-degree range. Showers and thunderstorms are expected after 4 p.m. in Central Indiana with a high temperature near 91. The chance of precipitation is 60%. Later this evening, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected before 8 p.m., with isolated showers between 8 and 9 p.m. Expect low temperatures near 69 this evening with a chance of precipitation at 30%. Delaying potentially lifesaving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Officials issue extreme heat watch for much of Southern California ahead of major warm-up
Much of Southern California is bracing for a major warm-up as heat returns to the region, threatening dangerous conditions. In preparation for the upcoming weather event, KCAL News has issued a Next Weather Alert to warn communities about the extreme heat and increased fire danger. The alert will be in effect from Wednesday through Saturday for the valleys, Inland Empire, mountains and deserts. The National Weather Service has also issued several weather warnings ahead of the "multi-day heat event." Weather officials predict that many areas will experience record temperatures. A red flag warning will go into effect at 9 a.m. Wednesday and remain until 9 p.m. Saturday for portions of the mountains and foothills of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. A fire weather watch will also go into effect Thursday morning through Saturday evening for portions of the mountains and foothills of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. The NWS says the "unseasonably hot and unstable air mass" is capable of producing "explosive fire behavior." Temperatures are expected to be between 95 and 105 degrees in most interior areas, with mountain and desert locations reaching up to 110 degrees. An extreme heat watch has also been issued from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday evening for much of the Southern California region. Weather officials say the hot conditions will increase the risk of heat illness for everyone, especially vulnerable populations, including young children, the elderly and those without air conditioning.
