Although not as hot as July, the month of August was slightly hotter than the long term averages. The high temperature in Phoenix on the 5th reached 112 degrees, just two degrees shy of the daily record.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.
Although not as hot as July, the month of August was slightly hotter than the long term averages. The high temperature in Phoenix on the 5th reached 112 degrees, just two degrees shy of the daily record.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 1, 6:55 AM MST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 655 AM MST SUN AUG 1 2010 .UPDATE... UPDATED AVIATION AND FIRE WEATHER SECTIONS. && .SYNOPSIS... A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...TODAY. IT WILL BE MUCH COOLER THAN AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA ONCE AGAIN TODAY. DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS WEEK WITH A DECREASE IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE PUSHED EAST OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS WEEK...RETURNING TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... SHOWERS HAVE BEEN LINGERING OVER FGZ CWA APPARENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH A MESOSCALE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTERED OVER NORTHERN YAVAPAI COUNTY. A LARGER CIRCULATION...WHICH HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A COUPLE DAYS...IS MOVING WESTWARD WITH THE CENTER OF IT PASSING JUST TO THE SOUTH OF OUR AREA AND ENTERING NORTHERN BAJA MEXICO. WEST OF THAT IS A LARGER ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION WITH A MORE DISTINCT HIGH CENTER TO OUR NORTHEAST OVER WESTERN COLORADO. THERE ARE YET OTHER FLOW FEATURES OVER THE SOUTHWEST STATES AND NORTHERN MEXICO BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT THE PATTERN IS COMPLICATED. WITH THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN PLACE AND THE CIRCULATION OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA...HELD ON TO THE ALL-DAY POPS. HOWEVER WITH RELATIVELY COOL BOUNDARY LAYERS AND WARM MID-UPPER LEVELS...CAPE WILL BE QUITE MODEST. DECIDED TO HOLD OFF ON A FLASH FLOOD WATCH DUE TO LACK OF WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL BUT INSTEAD AM THINKING ANY FLASH FLOODING WILL BE MORE ISOLATED IN NATURE. GFS APPEARED TO BE BETTER INITIALIZED THAN NAM WHEN COMPARING REGIONAL 00Z RAOBS. NAM12 HAD A STRANGE DRY LAYER AT LOWER LEVELS. GFS FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DECREASING MOISTURE DURING THE DAY AND LITTLE TO NO CAPE. THE DRYING TREND LOOKS A BIT AGGRESSIVE AND AM THINKING THERE WILL BE BETTER POTENTIAL FOR OUTFLOW DRIVEN STORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LOW DESERTS THAN THE GFS WOULD SUGGEST. WITH SOUTHERLY STEERING FLOW...SOUTHEAST ARIZONA ACTIVITY WILL HAVE DIRECT BEARING ON THE SOUTH-CENTRAL DESERTS. UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA SHOULD KEEP THAT AREA ACTIVE ALL DAY AND OUTFLOWS FROM YAVAPAI...GILA...AND POSSIBLY MOHAVE COULD COME INTO PLAY AS WELL. GIVEN THE MOIST AIRMASS...IT WILL TAKE FAIRLY STRONG STORMS TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL LONG LIVED OUTFLOWS. GFS AND NAM DEPICT AN INVERTED TROUGH TO MOVE INTO ARIZONA MONDAY FROM NEW MEXICO...PER 300 AND 250 MB WIND FIELDS WITH SOUTHERLY STEERING FLOW REMAINING IN PLACE OVER MUCH OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THEY ALSO BOTH INDICATE DRIER AIR AT THE LOWER LEVELS TRYING TO FINGER IN FROM THE SOUTH ALONG WITH LOWER RH AT THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS. THUS LOWER POPS ARE IN ORDER. MEANWHILE...TROUGHING OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEEPENS WITH EVEN MORE DRYING FOR TUESDAY...PER THE GFS AND ACCORDINGLY A FURTHER DECREASE IN POPS. AS POPS DECREASE...TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE. FOR THE EXTENDED...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A LOW GRADE MONSOON SITUATION ALONG WITH A WESTWARD EXPANSION OF A LARGE HIGH...FOR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. HOWEVER...IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE FOR EASTERN ARIZONA LATER IN THE WEEK. WITH SOUTHERLY STEERING FLOW AND MORE MOISTURE...INTRODUCED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY TO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL DESERTS INCLUDING PHOENIX. && .AVIATION... SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX AND KIWA...SCATTERED SHOWERS FROM THE NORTH ARE EXPECTED WITH LOWER CEILINGS DOWN TO 5 THOUSAND AND POSSIBLY BRIEFLY DOWN TO 3 THOUSAND THIS MORNING WITH A CHANCE OF THIS CONTINUING THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH OF THIS CONTINUING THIS AFTERNOON...SO NOT INCLUDED IN CURRENT FORECAST. THE SITUATION WILL BE HANDLED IN AMENDMENTS AND LATER FORECASTS. SOUTHEAST CA AND SOUTHWEST AZ...INCLUDING KBLH AND KIPL...SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS BASES AT OR ABOVE 10 THOUSAND FEET. ISOLATED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT KBLH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...BUT HAVE NOT INCLUDED IN TAF BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY. THE SITUATION WILL BE HANDLED IN LATER FORECASTS AND AMENDMENTS IF NECESSARY. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY... MUCH HIGHER THAN AVERAGE HUMIDITY AND AN ABOVE AVERAGE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST ARIZONA TODAY AS A MOIST AND SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE AIR MASS CONTINUES. EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERY IS EXPECTED AGAIN TONIGHT. A WARMING AND DRYING TREND IS FORECAST FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE TEENS IN MOST DESERT AREAS BY WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT RECOVERY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 30 PERCENT. THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DECREASE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PUSHED EAST OF THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA BY WEDNESDAY. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...AJ AVIATION...ELLIS FIRE WEATHER...ELLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 600 AM MST SUN AUG 1 2010 AZZ021>023-027-028-021300- WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA- SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY- 600 AM MST SUN AUG 1 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE BOTH DURING THE DAYLIGHT AND NIGHTTIME HOURS. THE MAIN HAZARD OF CONCERN WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. DUE TO LIMITING FACTORS...THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL TEND TO BE ISOLATED. BLOWING DUST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL ALSO BE A POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MONDAY. THERE WILL BE A DECREASED POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING BUT A BETTER CHANCE FOR BLOWING DUST. STORM CHANCES TUESDAY WILL BE CONFINED TO SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...WITH SIMILAR HAZARD CHARACTERISTICS AS ON MONDAY. NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE ANTICIPATED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BEFORE SLIGHT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ024-021300- SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS- 600 AM MST SUN AUG 1 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIKELY. THE MAIN HAZARD OF CONCERN WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. DUE TO LIMITING FACTORS...THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL TEND TO BE ISOLATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STORM CHANCES WILL DECLINE MONDAY AND AGAIN TUESDAY WITH SLIGHT CHANCES CONTINUING THE REST OF THE WEEK. HAZARD CONCERNS WILL SHIFT FROM FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL TO DAMAGING WIND POTENTIAL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AZZ020-025-026-CAZ031-032-021300- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY- SOUTHWEST DESERTS-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA- RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS- 600 AM MST SUN AUG 1 2010 /600 AM PDT SUN AUG 1 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA...SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ANY STORMS THAT FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN THAT COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ANY STORMS THAT FORM WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING BUT MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED THE REST OF THE WEEK. HOWEVER...HIGH TEMPERATURES IN SOME SPOTS WILL BE NEAR 110. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX
1 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Maricopa County reported 2 heat related deaths and 3 heat caused deaths in August. The hottest high temperature was on the 5th when it reached 112 degrees in Phoenix. However, the highest daily average temperature was 101 degrees on the 24th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2010
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 258302.