Arizona, 2018

Heat in Arizona, July 13 to 18, 2018

July 13 to 18, 2018 · NWS PSR · 8 events in 4 counties and zones

High pressure over the region allowed for temperatures to climb to dangerous levels during the middle part of the month. Nine heat-associated fatalities (7 direct and 2 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
9
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

High pressure over the region allowed for temperatures to climb to dangerous levels during the middle part of the month. Nine heat-associated fatalities (7 direct and 2 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 13, 4:45 PM MST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 4:45 PM MST, 15 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 13, 3:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 13, 4:05 PM MST, 55 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 13, 4:13 PM MST, 47 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 13, 4:43 PM MST, 17 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
July 13, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
July 16, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two direct fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
July 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, East Valley

When
July 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, Buckeye/Avondale

When
July 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Buckeye/Avondale forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
July 18, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, East Valley

When
July 18, 5:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, Northwest Valley

When
July 18, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northwest Valley forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-13UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-16UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-16UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-17UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2018-07-17UnknownDirect
Heat, Buckeye/Avondale2018-07-17UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-18UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2018-07-18UnknownIndirect
Heat, Northwest Valley2018-07-18UnknownIndirect

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, July 2018

Sources

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: 864885, 864886, 864887, 864888, 864889, 864890, 864891, 864892.