Southwest to get bit of relief from searing heat

PHOENIX — The Southwest is about to get some heat relief — but not much.

Temperatures in the region were forecast to dip from unbearable to merely sweltering Tuesday.

Palm Springs, Calif., which soared to 122 degrees Monday, was likely to see a high Tuesday of 112. Other cities such as Phoenix were set to see a slower downward trend but still in triple digits.

The heat wave that peaked Monday, brought on by a high pressure ridge, spawned record temperatures in several states and was blamed for at least five deaths.

“People are assuming that it’s going to be a little bit cooler in the morning, and the temperatures are still extremely hot,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bianca Hernandez said. “If you can avoid being outside in general on days like this, that’s the best thing.”

For many people who work outside, however, air conditioning isn’t an option.

There’s little shade along the horse trails in South Mountain Park and Reserve in Phoenix. Ponderosa Stables manager Kim Fitzgerald and her wranglers are well-seasoned when it comes to dealing with extreme heat.

Many of their customers, however, aren’t.

“It’s a dry heat and so people from out of state won’t realize how bad it is because they don’t sweat as much,” Fitzgerald said.

When the temperature breaks 100 degrees, the horse rides come to a stop before noon. The animals get the afternoon off in the corral and they’re given plenty of water.

Cassie Rogge Dodds at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Ariz., spends most of her days outdoors tending to a herd of six elephants. She says many of them are from South Africa and accustomed to extreme heat but still need to be protected.