Cooler temps bring some relief, but fire weather concerns linger in Arizona

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - After several days of scorching heat, temperatures across southwest Arizona and southeast California are finally dipping just below the triple-digit mark.

While high pressure remains in control of the region, it has weakened enough to allow slightly cooler air to move in thanks to a series of weather systems pushing in from the Pacific.

Clouds have also been on the increase, particularly in the eastern parts of the region, due to upper-level moisture associated with a troughing feature.

This has resulted in widespread cirrus cloud cover, which is expected to stick around through Tuesday morning. The added cloud cover, along with slightly lower pressure aloft, will help sustain a gradual cooling trend into midweek.

Still, daytime highs are projected to remain five to 10 degrees above average, hovering in the upper 80s to low 90s.

Models are now showing better agreement on a shortwave system breaking off from a trough off the Southern California coast and moving eastward by Monday night. This could bring some additional mid-level moisture into parts of the region.

Following the brief increase in moisture, skies are expected to clear Tuesday night and remain mostly sunny through Thursday.

However, confidence is growing in a potential shift in the weather pattern by late in the week. A more pronounced trough could arrive from the Eastern Pacific, which may bring a more significant cooldown and a slight uptick in precipitation chances.

At this point, forecast models still show a wide temperature spread of about 10 degrees, highlighting the uncertainty in how this system will develop.