The first day of meteorological summer on June 1 landed right after an unusually hot spring, and the Valley is already staring down an early stretch of triple-digit heat this week. The National Weather Service in Phoenix reports that spring 2026 was the hottest meteorological spring on record for its climate sites, including Phoenix, Yuma and El Centro, a run-up driven largely by a historic March and an unusually dry season, according to National Weather Service Phoenix. The office's local climate summary highlighted how the season's warmth and dryness helped push temperatures well above normal across the Southwest.
Forecasters put Phoenix's spring average at about 80.2°F and noted that May finished warmer than normal, ranking as the 11th-warmest May on record with an average of 84.1°F, as reported by Arizona's Family. Their forecast team says afternoon highs will climb into the low 100s this week, with Tuesday near 104°F and Wednesday and Thursday likely the hottest days around 105°F.
What To Expect This Week
Residents can expect hot afternoons, occasional breezy conditions and an Air Quality Alert for elevated ozone across the Phoenix metro, according to local forecast products. A disturbance passing south of Arizona is expected to knock daytime highs back a few degrees by the weekend, but triple-digit temperatures are still anticipated through midweek, according to NWS Phoenix.
How This Fits Into A Bigger Pattern
National climate reports show that March's record heat helped fuel a historically warm spring across much of the United States, with the West seeing some of the largest temperature anomalies. The Weather Company documented March as the warmest in the nation's records, and local reporting at KJZZ detailed Phoenix's record-shattering March and the turn toward a warmer-than-average spring.
Heat Safety And Local Help
Heat remains the deadliest weather hazard in Arizona, so officials are urging people to hydrate, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day and check on neighbors who are elderly or medically vulnerable. Maricopa County's Heat Relief Network and the City of Phoenix operate cooling centers, hydration stations and a mapped list of relief sites; residents can find locations and hours through the county's heat resources at Maricopa County.
