Typically, Memorial Day Weekend is seen as the official “kickoff to summer” and Mother Nature is wasting no time in doing just that, as temps this week in the Coachella Valley are expected to soar above 110 degrees this week all thanks to something called the “omega block” which, surprisingly, is not something the Guardians of the Galaxy set out to find in their next movie, but is actually a meteorological term that I just learned and now we can all be mad at for making things so darn hot in the desert.
First the forecast, which is calling for temperatures to be near or above 110 starting today and lasting through at least Thursday, according to KMIR’s Jerry “The Steffler” Steffen:
An @NBCPalmSprings Weather Heads-Up!
An Excessive Heat Warning has been posted through Friday for the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass, High Desert as midday temperatures run 10 to 15-degrees above normal.
With very dry air this week, evaporative coolers will work just fine! pic.twitter.com/Lea2sVzy1O— Jerry ‘The Steffler’ Steffen (@JerrySteffen) May 26, 2020
An excessive heat warning has been issued through Friday due to the high temps – so, please, don’t go for a freakin’ hike at 2 pm on Wednesday.
Now, as far as that “omega block” that we can all be enraged at now, the National Weather Service explains that the jet stream takes on the shape of the Greek letter omega – Ω – leaving a high pressure system lingering in our area:
The coming excessive heat event will begin with a pattern known as an omega block, with our region under strong high pressure. The jet stream takes on the shape of the Greek letter omega, hence the name. Find out more about the pattern here: https://t.co/rp7YhI73At #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/Inpvevqumh
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) May 25, 2020
With temps this hot, be sure to do all you can to stay hydrated, inside, or, at least, in the shade.
The “good news” is that things will “cool” a bit for the weekend, with temps down to the 103-105 range and, by next week, things are expected to dip back down under the triple digits.
