Cooler days ahead with a warming trend on the way

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Quiet and mostly dry weather continues across the Desert Southwest, with Yuma and Imperial counties seeing breezy conditions taper off tonight and cooler temperatures settling in over the next couple of mornings.

A weather system passing to the east brought gusty northerly winds earlier today, especially along the Lower Colorado River Valley. Gusts between 20–30 mph were common, but winds will gradually weaken through tonight and into early Thursday.

Temperatures will be the next thing to watch. Cooler air behind the system will drop overnight lows into the 30s and 40s in many spots, with some of the colder desert locations flirting with near-freezing conditions. While the coldest impacts remain to the north and at higher elevations, residents in outlying communities of both counties can still expect a chilly start Thursday and Friday mornings.

Daytime highs will stay near to slightly below normal through the end of the workweek, topping out in the mid to upper 60s across the lower deserts.

Looking ahead, a strong ridge of high pressure over the Pacific will build east this weekend, bringing a steady warming trend. Temperatures will climb back into the low 70s by Saturday and Sunday, and by the middle of next week, highs may reach the mid to upper 70s — roughly 8 to 10 degrees above normal for December.

Dry and calm weather looks to continue into next week, giving the region a stretch of quiet early-winter conditions.