Tucson set a record Tuesday for the shortest number of days — six — between a 32-degree day and a 99-degree one, the National Weather Service says.
That broke the 1925 record of a 12-day span between such temperature extremes.
If Tuesday's high had edged up just one more degree, that would have been the earliest 100-degree day of any year in Tucson's weather records that go back to 1895. Instead, April 19, 1989, holds on to that spot.
And now, temperatures are cooling again. Tomorrow's expected high of 76 degrees would be six degrees below normal for April 14.
But Saturday's forecast for a high of 82 degrees would put as back to normal, and the outlook for Sunday is 90 degrees, followed by highs in the mid-80s to the 90s for most of next week.
It's difficult to say when we will first officially hit 100 this year, says local weather service meteorologist Kevin Strongman. The average start to our 100-degree season has been May 18 in the period from 1991 to 2020, he says.
As for why we had the wacky extremes between April 5 and April 11, a very cold system came through and there was a ridge of high pressure building fast from the south, Strongman explains. There was some dry lightning in the area and even some sprinkles on Tuesday, he says.
But humidity is so low today, and combined with winds gusting to 30-40 mph in Tucson, that there's a red-flag warning until 8 p.m. of dangerous fire risks in much of southeastern Arizona.
Heed local fire restrictions, avoid using charcoal grills, don't drive over vegetated areas, and check tow chains, the weather service says.
Those conditions are expected to improve tomorrow.
