Overview
- Phoenix logged its first 90-degree day of 2026 on Friday and was forecast near 93, a level that would surpass the city’s all-time February record of 92.
- El Centro was forecast near 94 degrees to tie a 1986 daily record, with projections showing roughly a 40% chance of hitting 100 on Saturday.
- Lower-desert highs are running from the mid-80s to mid-90s, with some spots in Yuma and Imperial counties pushing into the upper 90s, afternoon humidity dipping into the teens, light winds, and unusually warm nights.
- Phoenix just completed its hottest meteorological winter on record, averaging nearly 64°F for December through February versus a typical winter near 58°F, according to National Weather Service data.
- Forecasters expect the ridge to ease by midweek, yet temperatures should remain above normal and conditions dry, as experts flag very low Western snowpack—exacerbated by climate change interacting with La Niña—as a concern for water supply and wildfire risk.