Hitting 100 degrees in Tucson is inevitable each spring, but we really shouldn’t be flirting with that mark in April.
It has reached 100 degrees in April in Tucson five times since 1895. The earliest was April 19, 1989.
The normal date for hitting 100 in Tucson is May 26.
For Sunday, the forecast high for Tucson is 97.
“That said, there is always an outside chance of higher temperatures,” said meteorologist Emily French of the National Weather Service in Tucson. “We’re already 13 degrees above normal.”
After a hot weekend, temperatures will moderate, French said, dropping a couple degrees each day, beginning Monday.
By Friday, the high should be back in the low 80s, where it’s supposed to be.
April has been a continuation of a warm spring, said French — the warmest March on record and an April that has already recorded 13 days of 90 degrees or above.
“We missed the 70s (in March) and the 80s (in April),” French said. “I’m not happy.”
It’s also dry. The last measurable rainfall was 0.21 inches on March 28 — the only rainy day that month. April brought zilch.
Humidity is low, which means our overnight and morning temperatures remain pleasant.
“It will still get down to the 50s. It will be nice in the shade, dry, and that’s going to continue,” French said.
French said the weather service is urging residents to get their chores and exercise done early.
If you do venture out midday, take the usual precautions: seek shade, cover up, wear sunscreen, stay hydrated.
