Arizona, 2018

Heat in Arizona, June 3 to 4, 2018

June 3 to 4, 2018 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Hot temperatures were experienced in parts of southeast Arizona on June 3rd and 4th with temperatures of 107 and 104 degrees recorded at Sells. One heat-related fatality occurred east of Sells.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 TWC wrote it up.

Hot temperatures were experienced in parts of southeast Arizona on June 3rd and 4th with temperatures of 107 and 104 degrees recorded at Sells. One heat-related fatality occurred east of Sells.

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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 3, 9:30 AM MST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 3, 9:30 AM MST, 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
930 AM MST Sun Jun 3 2018

.SYNOPSIS...The hottest temperatures of the year so far are
expected today along with a slight chance of dry thunderstorms in
the White Mountains during the afternoon. The heat continues through
next week with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the mountains
east of Tucson Thursday and continuing into next weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Main story for today is the record to near record
highs across parts of southeast Arizona while further north an
upper level low exits far northern Arizona by early this
afternoon. Deeper moisture is across New Mexico where scattered
thunderstorms were occurring at this time. Back edge of this
moisture was along the AZ/NM bo with the exception
of a slight chance of mainly dry thunderstorms across the White
Mountains todayrder this morning, but as the above
mentioned upper level low moves into SE UT this moisture will be
pushed out of the area. With that in mind will go ahead and remove
mention of afternoon thunderstorms (10% PoP) across the White
mountains this afternoon.

It will be an active day across New Mexico today with outflow
boundary's pushing west tonight thus could see a slight increase
in shallow lower level moisture across far eastern areas.

Slightly cooler Monday and Tuesday under lower heights/thickness
values. More on this and the remainder of the 7 day forecast will
be discussed in the afternoon discussion.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 04/15Z.
FEW-SCT clouds above 12k ft AGL near the NM border otrw CLR
across the area. Vrbl sfc winds to 10 kts this morning bcmg W-SW
8-15 kts with gusts to 23 kts this aftn into early this evening.
Winds easing to light and vrbl after 04/03Z. Aviation discussion
not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Dry conditions through Wednesday. Through this
period the Haines index will reach 6 at times, mainly eastern
zones. Then increasing moisture will bring a slight chance of
thunderstorms to the mountains of Fire Zones 152 and 153 Thursday
into next weekend. Very little precipitation is expected if storms
occur with the biggest threat being dry lightning strikes and
strong outflow winds. 20-foot winds will be a bit elevated and
gusty each afternoon through Tuesday with local elevated fire
weather conditions, then generally light Wednesday onward other
than some afternoon gusts due to strong heating.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.

&&

Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation

When
June 3, 10:00 AM MST to June 4, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Tohono O Odham Nation forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.501, -111.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Well above normal temperatures occurred on the Tohono O'odham Nation on June 3rd and 4th. Sells recorded a high temperature of 107 degrees on the 3rd and 104 on the 4th. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult male east of Sells. The exact time of death was not determinable, but very likely occurred on June 3rd.

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, Tohono O Odham Nation2018-06-0334MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

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, June 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: 861878.