It's So Hot in Arizona, Meteorologists Need New Weather Map Colors

22 June

22 Jue, 2017

It's so hot in the American Southwest that meteorologists are using unusual colors for their temperature maps.

As reported by MLive's Mark Torregrossa, with temperatures forecast to hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the Phoenix area, the folks at weatherbell.com had to use green for its Wednesday map because the other shades were already used.

"I've tweaked color banks on weather graphics for almost 30 years," Torregrossa wrote. "The trick is to get the colors to match the temperatures, as we have come to expect them. So cold temperatures are usually blue and purples, and hot temperatures are varying levels of red."

"But sometimes extreme weather can make a graphic color bank hard to develop," he added.

Not only that, Gizmodo pointed out that the National Weather Service's weather map usually shows a mix of green, yellow and orange this time of year. However, for its Tuesday map for Phoenix, the agency had to use magenta to represent "rare, dangerous, and very possibly deadly" heat.

US National Weather Service Phoenix Arizona

21 June at 00:52

We have very high Heat Risk levels this week – especially today. That means it’s well beyond the usual heat of Summer. Reschedule outdoor exercise for the coolest part of the day and choose a less strenuous routine. If you must work outdoors, drink at least 1-2 liters per hour, take frequent breaks in the shade, and finish up by midday. Even if you don’t work outdoors, take extra water with you wherever you go. If you have elderly family/friends/neighbors – especially those living alone - check on them to make sure they are well and the air conditioning is working. Taking precautions like these will prevent you or someone you know from joining people in the emergency room with heat related illness.

There have been a slew of heat-related incidents around the area due to the ongoing heatwave. Earlier this week, as temperatures hit 119 degrees Fahrenheit around Phoenix, flights were canceled for safety reasons. Dogs have burned their paws during walks on 160-degree asphalt. A local news team even successfully baked a frozen pizza outdoors during Tuesday's triple-digit scorcher. One taste-tester remarked that the thawed pie "tastes like gas station breadsticks."