Extreme Heat Watch issued as Yuma County faces 115-degree highs

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect for Yuma County through Thursday evening, with the National Weather Service calling for a high near 110 degrees and an overnight low around 79. The risk is highest for people working outside, older adults, young children and anyone without reliable air conditioning, because the heat will stay dangerous well after sunset.

Temperatures are running about 6 to 10 degrees above normal and should peak through Thursday as a strong high-pressure system settles over the Desert Southwest. Moisture drifting in from the south could add cloud cover, virga and a few isolated showers or thunderstorms, but it may also push dew points higher and make the heat feel even more oppressive than the thermometer suggests.

Yuma County has cooling centers and water sites available for residents during extreme heat, and the City of Yuma maintains an emergency-management page with a 2026 map of water and cooling sites. Crossroads Mission's locations serve as official cooling stations during the summer. Health officials urge people to use public indoor spaces when they can, rest in shaded areas and keep drinking water before the hottest part of the day.

National Weather Service historical climate data put Yuma at an average of 111 days at or above 100 degrees in the 1991 to 2020 normal period and 25 days at or above 110 degrees. The longest recent stretch of 110-degree-or-higher days ran 31 days, from June 30, 2023, through July 30, 2023, and the city’s all-time recorded high is 124 degrees, set on July 28, 1995.

Drier, cooler and breezier weather is expected to return late in the week, and Thursday still carries the sharpest risk for heat stress across Yuma County.