An unusually strong area of high pressure over the desert southwest produced a heat wave that lasted a week with high temperatures approaching all time records. High temperatures above 110 degrees were common in the lower deserts and even elevations near 7000 feet reached 100 degrees.
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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 TWC wrote it up.
An unusually strong area of high pressure over the desert southwest produced a heat wave that lasted a week with high temperatures approaching all time records. High temperatures above 110 degrees were common in the lower deserts and even elevations near 7000 feet reached 100 degrees. Numerous temperature records were broken across the area. While no heat-related deaths occurred, there were numerous instances of heat-related illnesses in the Tucson Metro area.
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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 18, 9:06 AM MST, 5 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
906 AM MST Sun Jun 18 2017
.SYNOPSIS...Very hot temperatures are expected today through much of
this week, with several days of near or record breaking temperatures
likely. A modest increase in moisture this week will bring a chance
of dry thunderstorms, but the chance of precipitation remains slim
through late next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...The 12Z KTWC sounding holds no surprises, with about
4 degrees of warming ready to push temperatures up accordingly
this afternoon. The modest moisture increase is also evident, with
precipitable water at .42 inches (which we haven't even come close
to in the past 5 or 6 days). Surface dew points again in the 20s
this morning with room to mix into the teens.
Today the ridge starts to get serious for the desert southwest,
with the ridge amplifying through the region, followed by the
high center slowly consolidating over Arizona in the next 48
hours. As the max heat hits us early to mid week, we will also
have to deal with just enough moisture for high based convection
that will bring more wind and lightning than rain. Please see the
previous discussion below for additional details.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid thru 19/18Z.
Clear skies. Occasional smoke layers above 10k ft AGL. Light
Surface winds becoming W-NW 8-13 kts with gusts to 20 kts in the
afternoon and early evening hours. Aviation discussion not
updated for TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Extreme heat and very dry conditions will occur
to start the week with Excessive Heat Warnings in effect into
next Thursday. Mainly mid to high level moisture is expected to
increase, however. This moisture combined with strong surface
heating could result in dry-lightning over the White mountains
Monday afternoon then near the International Border and Sky
Islands of zones 151,152 and 153 Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Strong and erratic winds could be experienced near any
thunderstorms that develop.
A slightly enhanced gradient will result in an enhanced northwest
breeze down the Gila valley this afternoon with 15-20 mph winds,
which may impact the Frye fire similar to Friday. Otherwise,
20-ft winds will be typical for June, with light drainage
overnight and westerly to northwesterly 5-15 mph each afternoon.
Minimum RH values will be in the low single digits through the
weekend with slight improvement later on. The instability will
increase with Haines 6 conditions developing west across the area
through Sunday, and areawide Monday Through Thursday. Monday
through Wednesday afternoons, the atmosphere will be well mixed
and unstable up through 500 mb or 18,000 ft msl.
&&
.CLIMATE...
All time record highs across the region
RECORD_DATE AND YEAR
TUCSON INTL AIRPORT 117 6/26/1990
BISBEE-DOUGLAS ARPT 110 6/26/1994
AJO 117 7/5/2007, 7/6 2007 and 7/31/1995
FORT THOMAS 115 6/26/1990
KITT PEAK 98 7/30/1995
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS 118 7/15/1998, 7/26/1995 and 6/26/1990
PICACHO PEAK 119 7/28/1995
SAFFORD AG STATION 114 6/30/1994
SIERRA VISTA FD 108 7/4/1989
TOMBSTONE 112 7/4/1989
WILLCOX 110 6/28 AND 6/29/1994, 6/26/1990 and 7/6/2005
Daily forecast highs and record highs Monday through Wednesday
Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 21
FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR
TUCSON INTL AIRPORT 114 115/2016 115 112/2015 115 112/1990
BISBEE-DOUGLAS ARPT 106 108/1959 107 106/1960 108 105/1990
AJO 115 114/1968 117 115/1968 115 115/1919
FORT THOMAS 112 115/1960 115 111/1960 116 109/2005
KITT PEAK 99 95/1989 100 93/1989 100 94/1979
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS 115 115/1960 117 115/1960 113 114/1989
PICACHO PEAK 115 111/2002 117 112/2008 117 116/2005
SAFFORD AG STATION 112 109/1989 114 111/1989 115 109/1960
SIERRA VISTA FD 106 106/1989 106 103/1989 107 103/1990
TOMBSTONE 107 108/1989 108 105/1980 109 106/1996
WILLCOX 105 108/1989 106 105/1990 107 106/1968
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...High pressure aloft will be strengthening over
the desert southwest thru Monday and will remain over the area
through the week. Daily record high temperature likely in this
extreme heat wave with all-time record high temperature being
approached. Daily record high minimum temperatures are also
likely.
Limited moisture seeping in the from the east will bring a slight
chance of high based dry thunderstorms over the White mountains this
afternoon. Moisture continues to slowly increase from the east
Monday resulting in high based, mainly dry, thunderstorms over the
mountains east of Tucson on Monday. Tuesday could be a very
interesting day as the models are suggesting a bit more thunderstorm
activity, with a better mix of dry and wet storms. Strong outflow
winds may also produce areas of blowing dust. Slight chance of
afternoon/evening thunderstorms mainly over the mountains will be
around Wednesday through Saturday. Stay cool this week.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Heat Advisory from 11 AM Monday to 7 PM MST Thursday for
AZZ510>514.
Excessive Heat Warning until 7 PM MST Thursday for AZZ501-502-
504>506-509.
Excessive Heat Warning until 7 PM MST Thursday for AZZ503.
Excessive Heat Warning from 11 AM Monday to 7 PM MST Thursday
for AZZ507-508-515.
&&
Meyer
Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/TucsonThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperatures during the period were 118 at Ajo and 117 at Organ Pipe National Monument.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperatures during the period was 115 degrees at Sells.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperatures during the period were 112 degrees at Sasabe and Nogales Airport.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The Tucson International Airport reached 115 degrees on three consecutive days for the first time ever and recorded the 2nd warmest reading on record of 116 degrees on the 20th. The low temperature of 87 on the 20th was the warmest on record for June. Dozens of heat-related illnesses were reported in the Tucson Metro, but no fatalities were reported.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperature recorded during the period was 115 degrees at Picacho Peak.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperature recorded during the period was 111 degrees at San Manuel.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperature recorded during the period were 113 at the Safford Ag Center, 112 at the Safford Airport and 110 at Duncan.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperatures recorded during the period were 115 at Cascabel, 112 at Benson and 110 at Sierra Vista and Tombstone.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. The highest temperatures recorded during the period were 112 at Willcox and 109 at Bisbee Douglas Airport.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
An extended period of excessive heat occurred across nearly all of southeast Arizona. Elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet recorded temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees including 103 degrees at Carr RAWS and 100 at Hopkins RAWS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2017
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: 709491, 709492, 709493, 709495, 709496, 709497, 709499, 709498, 709500, 709502, 709503, 709504, 709505, 709506, 709507.