Desert Southwest weather: Windy Thursday, cooler Friday, rain chances by Sunday

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Desert Southwest is in for a little bit of everything over the next several days, wind, cooler temperatures, a brief warmup, and even a slight chance for rain.

According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, temperatures will stay above normal Wednesday, with afternoon highs in the mid-80s across the lower deserts, about 10 degrees above average for early March.

Windy Thursday Ahead

Changes begin Thursday as a dry weather system moves through the region.

A Wind Advisory has been issued for parts of southeast California, including eastern Riverside County and northern Imperial County.

Gusts in those areas could reach 30 to 45 miles per hour. Across the broader Desert Southwest, including the Lower Colorado River Valley, gusts of 25 to 35 miles per hour will be possible.

The incoming system will also push drier air into the region, dropping afternoon humidity levels into the low teens. Combined with gusty winds, that will create elevated fire weather concerns.

Highs Thursday will cool into the upper 70s across the lower deserts.

Cooler Friday, warm weekend

Friday will be noticeably cooler, with highs only reaching the low to mid-70s. Skies are expected to remain mostly clear despite the cooler air moving in.

Over the weekend, temperatures rebound into the 80s as a low-pressure system develops off the Baja coast.

Rain chances Sunday into Monday

Forecast models now show better agreement that this system could bring some moisture into the Desert Southwest late Sunday into Monday.

While the system will track mainly to our south, there is a 30 to 40% chance of showers, mainly over higher terrain east of Phoenix.

For the lower deserts, rainfall amounts look light at this time, generally between a few hundredths of an inch up to around a quarter inch in isolated spots.

By Tuesday, the system is expected to move east, drying us back out. Temperatures will warm again into the 80s by midweek, with the potential for 90-degree readings returning later next week.

Fire weather concerns

Through Saturday, dry conditions will persist with minimum relative humidity values between 10 and 15%. Overnight recoveries will be modest, generally between 30 and 50%.

With gusty winds and dry fuels, fire weather concerns will remain elevated, especially Thursday across southeast California and the western deserts.

For now, expect a windy stretch, a brief cool-down, and the possibility of light showers to close out the weekend across the Desert Southwest.