• Slug: BC-CNS Weather Week, 255 words.
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By Jordan Evans
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Sunny and dry will be theme across the state for the rest of the week. However, temperatures will drop and winds will pick up by Thursday as a cold front drops down from the Rockies.

After a hot start to the week in Phoenix, temperatures over the next couple of days will dip slightly below average, which is 92. The Colorado River Valley will also remain warm for Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs running a few degrees above seasonal normals.

By Thursday, a big storm system will drop out of Canada and into the northern Rocky Mountains, forcing a strong cold front south into Arizona.

Lows in Phoenix will drop below 60 degrees, which would be the lowest temperature in Phoenix since May 24. Tucson also will be cooler than normal and breezy.

Many communities up north will feel the coldest air so far this season. Hard freezes will take place in Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village, where temperatures will bottom out in the teens and 20s. Highs those days will only make it into the mid-50s.

The storm system will have a strong pressure gradient, which will bring a couple of days of windy conditions across northern Arizona, starting Wednesday afternoon. Gusts in Flagstaff will approach 25 mph; they’ll approach 45 mph at Grand Canyon Village.

Winds will back off by Thursday, with temperatures remaining low through Friday. Highs will return to near seasonal normals for many communities across Arizona by the weekend.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.