Southwestern U.S. Experiencing First Lingering Heat of the Season

The sizzle is on across the Southwest. The warmest temperatures of the year are building over this corner of the country with readings expected to come close to breaking the century mark into early next week. Here is what you need to know about this budding heat in the Southwest.

Las Vegas and Phoenix to Sizzle Under April Sun

The spring started on a cool note for much of the Southwest thanks to a string of storms that pushed across the West Coast from the Pacific Ocean. These storms kept temperatures suppressed in March and into the start of April. That is all changing as the first widespread influx of heat hits the interior Southwest this weekend and into next week.

The heat is arriving right on schedule. For instance, Las Vegas typically sees the mercury hit the 90-degree mark for the first time of the year on an average date of April 18. Right on time, Sin City will hover in these readings in the coming days. What is ironic is that Las Vegas was slow to heat up this year. The city generally sees the first 80-degree day around March 14. The temperature did not break this mark this year until April 10.

Moving down into Phoenix, the metro area typically experiences the first 90-degree day of the year around the date of March 30. It took until April 11 this year for the thermometer to soar to this level.