410
FXUS65 KTWC 182110
AFDTWC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUCSON AZ
210 PM MST WED MAR 18 2026
SYNOPSIS
SIGNIFICANTLY HOT TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THE SECOND HALF
OF WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 TO 25
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL DURING THIS PERIOD, ESPECIALLY FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. VISITORS, SEASONAL RESIDENTS, AND OTHER PEOPLE NOT
TYPICALLY ACCUSTOMED TO OR ACCLIMATED TO EXTREME HEAT ARE
ESPECIALLY URGED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS DURING THE HOTTEST HOURS OF
THE DAY DURING THIS PERIOD AND LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITY.
DISCUSSION
HEAT CONTINUES TO BE THE MAIN WEATHER STORY OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 TO 25 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH MANY CLIMATE RECORDS BEING
THREATENED BEGINNING TODAY INTO THIS WEEKEND (MORE IN THE CLIMATE
SECTION). THESE ANOMALOUSLY HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE THANKS TO THE
BUILDING AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE THAT IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER LAS
VEGAS, NV. THIS HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT AND
CENTER OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, LEADING TO THE
HOTTEST TEMPERATURES. AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT
BEGINNING TOMORROW MORNING AND CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGH
TEMPERATURES FOR AREAS TUCSON WESTWARD WILL BE 100-108 DEGREES AND
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN 95-100 IN THE EASTERN VALLEYS. THE AREA
OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN DRIFT EASTWARD SLIGHTLY SUNDAY INTO
MONDAY.
UNFORTUNATELY GENERAL HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER,
KEEPING US IN ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REST OF THE
WEEK. TEMPERATURES MONDAY ONWARD FOR AREAS TUCSON WESTWARD WILL
BE 95-100 DEGREES AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN 90-96 IN THE
EASTERN VALLEYS. AS THIS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO DRIFT, AFTERNOON
WINDS WILL BE BREEZY EACH AFTERNOON SUNDAY ONWARD.
AVIATION
VALID THROUGH 20/00Z.
MAINLY SKC THRU THE FORECAST PERIOD. SFC WINDS NWLY AT 6-9 KTS THRU
18/04Z AND AGAIN AFTER 19/19Z THRU THE END OF THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE,
SFC WINDS WILL BE TERRAIN DRIVEN AND REMAIN UNDER 8 KTS. AVIATION
DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR TAF AMENDMENTS.
FIRE WEATHER
A STRENGTHENING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL NUDGE
EAST BY TOMORROW TO BE CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA RESULTING IN
PROGRESSIVELY HOTTER AND DRIER CONDITIONS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND.
SIGNIFICANT HEAT IS FORECAST TODAY THRU SUNDAY WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES PUSHING INTO THE 20 TO 25 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL RANGE.
WINDS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK WILL REMAIN BELOW 10
MPH WITH A FEW AFTERNOON GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH. BREEZIER CONDITIONS
RETURN ON BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS THE HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO
WEAKEN AND FLATTEN OUT. MINIMUM RHS 5 TO 15 PERCENT.
CLIMATE
RECORD OR NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES NEXT 3 DAYS
DATE MAR 18 MAR 19 MAR 20
FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR
TUCSON INTL AIRPORT 95 95/1907 100 95/1907 103 94/2017
AJO 99 94/2017 103 97/2007 106 98/2017
KITT PEAK 79 78/2007 85 72/2017 87 76/2017
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS 101 91/2009 105 95/2017 108 99/2004
PICACHO PEAK 94 95/2017 99 96/2017 102 95/2004
SAFFORD AG STATION 93 92/2017 96 91/2017 101 92/2017
SIERRA VISTA FD 87 86/2017 92 87/2017 95 86/2017
TOMBSTONE 88 85/1914 92 89/2017 96 86/2017
WILLCOX 88 88/2007 93 86/2017 98 90/2017
EARLIEST DATES BY THRESHOLD AND RECORDED MARCH MONTHLY RECORD
STATION EARLIEST 95 EARLIEST 100 MARCH RECORD
TUCSON MARCH 5 (1910) APRIL 11 (2025) 99 (1988)
SAFFORD APRIL 8 (1989) APRIL 28 (2000) 93 (2025)
NOGALES MARCH 31 (1969) MAY 6 (2020) 93 (2025)
DOUGLAS APRIL 7 (1989) MAY 12 (1996) 92 (1989)
SIERRA VISTA APRIL 19 (1989) MAY 22 (1989) 91 (1989)
WILLCOX APRIL 12 (2025) MAY 8 (1989) 92 (1907)
TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 8 PM MST SUNDAY FOR
AZZ501>509.
PUBLIC...JT
AVIATION...DVS
FIRE WEATHER....DVS
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...YOUTUBE...AND AT WEATHER.GOV/TUCSON
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page