Just in time for the long Easter weekend, if your out and about across the Southwest, water, sun cream and shades will be required but bundle up if your east of the Rockies as arctic air makes a return.

Note in the below GFS 500mb height anomaly and 850mb temp anomaly charts the bulging West Coast ridge but deep trough and fresh push of arctic air further east.

It’s not unprecedented but the year’s first 582+dm upper SW ridge shall deliver the first 80s to Las Vegas, 90s to Phoenix and perhaps first 100 in favoured SW hot spots.

GFS SW 2m temps Sat and Sun PM.

Today in fact saw the first 80-degrees for Las Vegas but how does this compare historically?

https://twitter.com/NWSVegas/status/978617653676797952

As for Phoenix

https://twitter.com/NWSPhoenix/status/978304319698153473

Meanwhile further east and on the other side of the Rockies, wow, we could see 20s and 30s widely for highs and 0s to low and mid 10s for minimums this weekend. Could be coldest Easter for the Twin Cities in 10 years!