Warm and dry conditions to continue across the US West

Unusually warm and dry weather has been persistent across the US West during October 2015. A number of temperature records have already been broken, and hot conditions are expected to continue throughout the week, increasing the risk of wildfires in already devastated areas.

An area of high pressure and the jet stream over southwestern Canada have combined to bring an extended period of unusually warm and dry conditions over the US West.

As the fall sets in the jet stream usually begins to move south allowing cooling of the area. This season, however, the cold air has remained over Canada. At least for now.

For a number of states across the West the September 2015 has been one of the warmest month on the records so far. For Utah, Colorado and New Mexico this has indeed been the warmest September so far, while California, Nevada, Arizona and Wyoming reported a 10th warmest September so far.

Camarillo, California set a new temperature record on October 9 with mercury rising to 42.2 °C (103 °F), beating the previous temperature record of September 24, 1978.

Colorado Springs, Colorado measured the highest recorded temperature of 30.5 °C (87 °F) on October 11, 2015.

Meteorologists predict the warm weather will continue across the area throughout this week, and more record breaking temperatures are expected across California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Utah.

Featured  image: Death valley, California, October 10, 2005. Image credit: Keirn (CC-Flickr)