The first triple-digit high temperature for Tucson could happen this weekend, weather officials say.
Saturday’s high temperature is predicted to be 99 degrees, but there’s a 15 percent chance it could reach 100, the National Weather Service in Tucson says.
The last time the city had triple-digit highs was in October. That month it reached at least 100 degrees four times.
Dating back to 1895, the historical average for Tucson’s first 100-degree day of the year: May 24.
Dating back to 1990, the average-first day of 100-degree highs that Tucson: May 18.
Even if the 100-degree mark isn’t hit this weekend, it’s a good reminder of what’s to come, says Glenn Lader, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson.
“It’s going to be close, but you know, regardless of whether it’s 99, 100, 98 (degrees), I think the important message to take away is now that we’re getting into mid-May and into late-May, triple digits are coming,” Lader said. “It’s a good kind of reminder to keep the heat safety protocols in mind, especially during those peak heating hours of the day, to be more cognizant of (the) heat.”
For the upcoming meteorological summer, which spans the months of June, July and August, Lader says that forecasts from the National Climate Prediction Center have Tucson “leaning above normal” in terms of temperature.
It’ll likely be drier than normal too, Lader said.
The National Climate Prediction is “leaning below normal” for the precipitation that Tucson’s monsoon season will bring, Lader says. The official monsoon season spans June 15 through September 30.
“That’s kind of how they’re leaning, but you know, it is a seasonal forecast,” Lader said. “It’s believed, but certainly not a guarantee we’re going to see below-normal precipitation, and of course with a monsoon, it’s highly variable from location-to-location.”
NWS Tucson predicts high temperatures to reach 97 and 96 degrees on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
It’s supposed to be a balmy 95 degrees Friday.
Supervisors and the city council passed ordinances last week to declare the second week of May "Heat Awareness Week." It is to be used to provide tips, resources and outreach as residents prepare for the area's brutal summer.
