Dancing With the Stats: Western Heat Wave Edition

The huge ridge of high pressure continues to bake the southwestern United States.

1000-500 mb thickness values, a measurement of the distance between those two pressure levels aloft, are running 594 dkm over the Four Corners region of the Southwest, which is top of the scale for the parameter. Some of the models had been predicting the values would reach 6000 dkm this week, something I don’t think I have ever seen. Certainly a rare occasion.

Higher thickness values mean hotter temperatures, and readings are running some 10-15F above normal in the Southwest.

Here are some remarkable temperature numbers from yesterday:

Needles CA set an all time record high for June yesterday with 125F as the western heat wave continues unabated. It also tied their all time record high for any date!

Palm Springs hit 122F, breaking the old record by four degrees!

It was 115F at Las Vegas, which beat the old record for the date by 2F. Phoenix registered a sizzling 116F, a new record for the date by 1 degree.

Thermal CA lived up to its name on Monday, with a high of 121F, beating the old record for the date of 120F. Indio CA wasn’t far behind with 120F.

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