Arizona, 2018

Excessive Heat in Arizona, July 22 to 31, 2018

July 22 to 31, 2018 · NWS PSR · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Strong high pressure over the Desert Southwest allowed for temperatures to climb into record territory across the Phoenix area, resulting in deadly excessive heat conditions. Phoenix Sky Harbor airport recorded temperatures getting as high as 116 degrees during this period.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
40
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Strong high pressure over the Desert Southwest allowed for temperatures to climb into record territory across the Phoenix area, resulting in deadly excessive heat conditions. Phoenix Sky Harbor airport recorded temperatures getting as high as 116 degrees during this period. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 40 heat-associated deaths occurred in the Phoenix area between July 22nd and July 31st. Without adequate precautions, highs in the triple digits, or even the 90s, are sufficient to cause serious health problems, especially to vulnerable or poorly prepared individuals such as the homeless or those without working air conditioners. Heat-associated fatality data as reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health is aggregated and unfortunately, specifics such as age, gender, and circumstances cannot be obtained.

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 21, 1:55 PM MST, 10 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 1:55 PM MST, 10 hours 5 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

6 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix

When
July 22, 12:00 AM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
17 direct, 3 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

Excessive Heat, Northwest Valley

When
July 22, 12:00 AM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest 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)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

Excessive Heat, East Valley

When
July 23, 12:00 AM MST to July 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
9 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale

When
July 23, 12:00 AM MST to July 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Buckeye/Avondale forecast zone
Deaths
3 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
July 26, 12:00 AM MST to July 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

Excessive Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale

When
July 27, 12:00 AM MST to July 28, 11:59 PM MST
Where
North Phoenix/Glendale forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Record breaking temperatures in the Phoenix area lead to a deadly excessive heat event during the latter half of July. Phoenix Sky Harbor recorded several days with highs reaching 115 degrees and 116 degrees during this time. According to Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 40 heat-associated deaths (32 direct and 8 indirect) that occurred during this event. Unfortunately, the Maricopa County Department of Health was unable to provide details such as age, gender or circumstances regarding the deaths.

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
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-22UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-24UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-24UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-25UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-25UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-25UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-26UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-26UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-27UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-28UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-28UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-29UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-29UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-30UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-26UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2018-07-24UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Northwest Valley2018-07-31UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-25UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-25UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-26UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-28UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-28UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-28UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-29UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-30UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-31UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2018-07-27UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale2018-07-23UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale2018-07-26UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale2018-07-30UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2018-07-26UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2018-07-30UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale2018-07-27UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale2018-07-27UnknownIndirect
Excessive Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale2018-07-28UnknownIndirect

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 862273, 862278, 862274, 862275, 862277, 862279.