FORECAST: High winds and fire danger

Winds stay breezy and peak on Wednesday in the Valley as that system arrives from the northwest. Gusts in the Valley could reach 25 to 30 mph. Stronger gusts over 40 mph are possible across the high country. High winds and low humidity will elevate fire danger across northern Arizona. Red Flag Warnings go into effect on Wednesday for portions of Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Those warnings have been extended into Thursday for parts of these same counties and now include areas northeast of Show Low Temperatures continue to fall through Friday. By then, we could see highs in the Valley in the upper 80s, which is well below average for late May.

Windy and breezy temperatures for Thursday, high temps remain

By: Jorge Torres

PHOENIX — Winds are picking up and temperatures are dropping as a storm system approaches from the west.

Peak wind gusts could hit 25 to 30 mph in the Valley again on Thursday with gusts closer to 40 mph across parts of northern Arizona.

High winds and dry air will lead to more fire danger across northern Arizona on Thursday, too.

Another round of Red Flag Warnings are in effect for parts of Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Do not flick cigarettes out the window and make sure nothing is dragging from your vehicle that could cause a spark.

Breezes will continue into Friday across much of the state as cooler air moves in.

Valley temperatures will fall into the upper 80s Friday, which is around 10 degrees below average for late May.

Our Valley forecast looks to stay dry, but we could see a few spotty showers across northern Arizona on Friday as this latest storm system starts to move out.

Then, high pressure returns over the weekend sending temperatures into the triple digits by Sunday.