It appears October will wind up as a dry month, with no rain in sight in Tucson’s metropolitan area for at least a week — maybe more.
Since 1948, there have been four times Tucson received no rainfall during October — 1952, 1973, 1982 and 2013, said Jordan Pegram, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
This year’s dry stretch could potentially hit two months: Sept. 8 was the last time the city recorded measurable rain at Tucson International Airport. A whole 0.03 of an inch fell.
“We have a dry mass in place that has built up over Tucson,” said Pegram.
The dry mass, combined with a high-pressure system that built over the metropolitan area, has contributed to higher temperatures this month, Pegram said.
On Wednesday, Tucson tied a record high of 95 degrees for the date, set in 2014.
And on Monday, the city’s heat broke a record with a high of 96 degrees. The previous record was 94 degrees set Oct. 23, 1933.
Average temperatures have been above normal for most of the month.
However, a cooling is in the forecast for Friday into the weekend and next week, with highs in the 80s. On Friday, Oct. 27, the high is expected to reach 87.
