PHOENIX – A stretch of balmy weather across Arizona ended Monday, thanks to the passage of the first of two cold fronts expected this week. Metro Phoenix will experience high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees below the seasonal average of 84 through Friday. Breezes will continue across northern Arizona, producing a dangerous wind chill until the weekend.
High pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean has shifted west due to the passing of a disturbance over Utah. A cold front tailed the disturbance as it moved over central Arizona early Monday, pushing temperatures only into the mid-70s. This trend will continue for the rest of the week as a second cold front drops south from another disturbance Tuesday night.
Leaves in Flagstaff in mid-October. (Photo by Frankie McLister/Cronkite News)
Halloween should see the coldest morning so far this season in the Valley, with temperatures in the low to mid-40s. Overnight temperatures in Queen Creek, Anthem, Fountain Hills and other outlying communities could slip into the 30s, but no freeze is expected.
Across southern Arizona, temperatures will be similar to Phoenix, with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the 40s until Friday. Plan to layer up for the morning chill, but comfortable afternoons are expected.
Overnight temperatures are expected to be dangerously cold in Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village on Wednesday night as breezy conditions continue this week. This will cause wind chill values to dip below zero Thursday morning, with temperatures in the single digits. High temperatures will climb only into the 30s on Thursday.
Tuesday will be the windiest day across the high country. Wind gusts could approach 45 mph in the afternoon, creating difficult driving conditions along Interstate 40. Winds will be lighter in Payson, Prescott and Sedona. A week of high temperatures in the 50s and 60s and a cold Thursday morning in the 20s can be expected in those cities.
Trick-or-treaters will need to bundle up this year because temperatures will be lower than normal across the entire state. Northern Arizona will be near or below freezing, with breezes making it feel 5 to 10 degrees cooler. In Tucson and metro Phoenix, temperatures will fall into the 60s by 7 p.m.
Forecast models are in agreement of a state-wide warm up by the weekend as the second disturbance pushes east. High temperatures will return to the low 80s, near normals, in Phoenix on Saturday. No rain or snow is in the forecast at this time.
