Yuma County sees cooler, breezy start after fire danger eases

The Weather Authority First Alert Action Day ended across Yuma County and Imperial County as Sunday brought mostly clear skies, slightly cooler temperatures and wind gusts that could still hit 20 to 30 mph in exposed desert areas. Highs were forecast to reach about 100 degrees on Sunday and Monday, with Imperial Valley communities near 99 degrees.

The shift came after several days of dangerous fire weather and air quality alerts. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s Yuma forecast, updated June 25 at 9:09 a.m., kept an Extreme Heat Warning in place through that day and set a Red Flag Warning for Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27. The strongest winds were due in the late afternoon and evening, when dust could rise and push PM10 and PM2.5 into the Moderate AQI range.

For Yuma County residents, that meant the weekend ended with less immediate fire danger, but not with comfortable conditions. Crews working outdoors, drivers crossing open desert stretches and families planning evening errands or recreation still had to account for gusty winds and lingering heat. Even near 100 degrees, the combination of sun, dry air and long exposure can lead to heat-related illness without water, shade and rest.

NOAA climate normals for Yuma put the average June high at about 102 degrees and the average low at about 70, so a high around 100 was only slightly below the city’s typical June peak. National Weather Service record data show Yuma’s warmest annual average temperature on the record page was 77.5 degrees in 2017.