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Phoenix hits 116 degrees; hottest day of 2007
Casey Newton
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 4, 2007 07:28 PM
Independence Day marked the hottest day of the year in the Valley so far, but the worst may be over - for now, anyway.
The mercury reached 116 degrees at Sky Harbor Airport, just shy of the record 118 degrees recorded in 1989.
"There is a very strong area of high pressure that has been over most of the state," said Valerie Meyers, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. "Depending on how dry the air mass is, we can get some very hot temperatures."
But the temperatures and heat warnings didn't seem to deter fireworks-seekers.
Javier Esparza, 53, of Phoenix, was among the tens of thousands that arrived at Valley events before it even began to get dark.
"If it wasn't hot, I'd be surprised," he said. "It's kind of like having Christmas in summer' it wouldn't be right, you know?"
The National Weather Service has forecast a high of 115 for today, one degree short of the record set in 1983.
Temperatures should taper off through the rest of the week, reaching a relatively balmy 107 by Sunday.
Still, there is no rain in the forecast for at least the
Casey Newton
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 4, 2007 07:28 PM
Independence Day marked the hottest day of the year in the Valley so far, but the worst may be over - for now, anyway.
The mercury reached 116 degrees at Sky Harbor Airport, just shy of the record 118 degrees recorded in 1989.
"There is a very strong area of high pressure that has been over most of the state," said Valerie Meyers, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. "Depending on how dry the air mass is, we can get some very hot temperatures."
But the temperatures and heat warnings didn't seem to deter fireworks-seekers.
Javier Esparza, 53, of Phoenix, was among the tens of thousands that arrived at Valley events before it even began to get dark.
"If it wasn't hot, I'd be surprised," he said. "It's kind of like having Christmas in summer' it wouldn't be right, you know?"
The National Weather Service has forecast a high of 115 for today, one degree short of the record set in 1983.
Temperatures should taper off through the rest of the week, reaching a relatively balmy 107 by Sunday.
Still, there is no rain in the forecast for at least the
