Phoenix, Las Vegas bake in scorching heat
Source: AP-Excite
By BRIAN SKOLOFF and CHRIS CARLSON
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Scorching heat blistered the Southwest on Saturday, where highs between 115 and 120 degrees were expected for parts of Arizona, Nevada and California through the weekend.
Forecasters said temperatures in sunbaked Las Vegas could match the record of 117 degrees Saturday. Phoenix hit 119 degrees by mid-afternoon, breaking the record for June 29 that was set in 1994. And large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night - and maybe even longer.
Dan Kail was vacationing in Las Vegas when he heard that the temperature at California's Death Valley could approach 130 degrees this weekend. He didn't hesitate to make a trip to the desert location that is typically the hottest place on the planet.
"Coming to Death Valley in the summertime has always been on the top of my bucket list," the 67-year-old Pittsburgh man said. "When I found out it might set a record I rented a car and drove straight over. If it goes above 130 I will have something to brag about."
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130629/DA77MMQ82.html
Mike Bouse of Henderson, Nev., shades himself with an umbrella as he floats in the waters along Boulder Beach at Lake Mead, Saturday, June 29, 2013 near Boulder City, Nev. Bouse and his wife planned to spend most of the day in and out of the water to escape the heat in the Las Vegas area where Saturday's daytime high was expected to reach 117 degrees, the city's all-time high. It was 108 at noon Saturday in Sin City. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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I first recall a discussion about upward rising temperatures here in Phoenix back in the 1980s. The biggest reason was urbanization. Paving everything. Creates a heat island. Add in lots of non native vegetation that requires copious amounts of water and presto (thanks to hordes of people flocking here seeking "Mecca"
: It's warmer!!!!. Higher overall temperatures. Proof? Easy. Drive 25 miles out of town and feel the difference. I live near Deer Valley Airport, which is on the North outskirts of town. it is always a good 10-15 degrees cooler than Sky Harbor Airport where the "official" temperature is taken.
Back in the 1930s before everyone had air conditioning, people would sleep outside on cots to escape the heat trapped in their houses. Now that won't work.
A record setting day like yesterday is really just a news story for the talking heads. Back in the 1990s we had a 120 and a 122 degree day.
What I would look for are more subtle signs.
First let's don't call it a "drought" any more. It's the new norm. That is part of global climate change. It is more arid here and it's not going revert to the good old days. The one exception is the city. There's plenty of water here in Phoenix. All that artificially induced water raises the humidity (and discomfort level). Our forests are dead or dying. Pine beetles and fire are slowly reducing them to ashes.
Most of our rivers and streams are now bone dry. The Agua Fria used to flow almost year round. Now it only flows when it rains.
The heat island used to stop dust storms from washing across the city. Back in the 30s and 40s such events were common. That trended away with urbanization. Now that trend is reversing. More moisture means bigger storms. The last two summers have seen huge dust storms sweep completely across the city. That's a lot of area compared to the dust storms that did the same sixty years ago.
The media now calls this type a storm a Haboob
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haboob
A side note: Last year some old prune wrote in to the the AZ Repugnant, our local tabloid newspaper, complaining about the use of the word "Haboob." "It sounds Arabic" she mused, and "It sounds dirty." No doubt after pecking out her complaint she went back to pleasuring herself while reading the juicier parts of Leviticus....
Until yesterday our summer had been rather mild. It will be interesting to see what happens when the Monsoons hit. They are forming now and, if the last two years are any indication, this year could see some record storms.
If our temperatures continue to rise, and the humidity rises with it, then the metro area will quickly become uninhabitable. Think of Kansas City or St. Louis on steroids. Summers usually see daytime temps near 105 with humidity (daytime) somewhere near 35%. Double that humidity, or only a 40% increase with temps nearing 110 and it's time for all the transplants who moved here (many are the Republican "white flight" crowd from So Cal) to start thinking of where to flee next.
The thing that should really scare everyone living here is how we get our electricity. Long line transmissions. Very vulnerable to failure as part of our highly inefficient and decrepit 1960s infrastructure. One must wonder how much reserve capacity the private utility companies have built into their system. Ha! In the 1990s there was a city wide power failure that only lasted a few hours. Imagine one that lasted for days....
(typed while under the influence of sleep deprivation)
from DU. 
I do know that my plants' leaves get sunburned and start to turn brown.
Luckily the wind shifted yesterday, to give us a nice cooling overcast from forest fire smoke. 
