Arizona, 2019

Excessive Heat and Heat in Arizona, August 14 to 16, 2019

August 14 to 16, 2019 · NWS TWC · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Very hot temperatures were recorded in southeast Arizona, especially from the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation and the Tucson Metro westward on August 14th through the 16th. Several record highs were tied or broken.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

Very hot temperatures were recorded in southeast Arizona, especially from the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation and the Tucson Metro westward on August 14th through the 16th. Several record highs were tied or broken. One heat-related fatality occurred in the San Pedro River Valley in far southern Cochise County on August 14th.

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, 1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Western Pima County

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Western Pima County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th through the 16th with respective high temperatures of 110, 113 (record) and 115 (record) degrees at Ajo, 109, 109 and 108 at Picacho, 110, 111, and 106 at Sells and 114 degrees on all three days (all were records) at Organ Pipe National Monument.

Excessive Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Tohono O Odham Nation forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
32.501, -111.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th through the 16th with respective high temperatures of 110, 113 (record) and 115 (record) degrees at Ajo, 109, 109 and 108 at Picacho, 110, 111, and 106 at Sells and 114 degrees on all three days (all were records) at Organ Pipe National Monument.

Excessive Heat, South Central Pinal County

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where
South Central Pinal County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th through the 16th with respective high temperatures of 110, 113 (record) and 115 (record) degrees at Ajo, 109, 109 and 108 at Picacho, 110, 111, and 106 at Sells and 114 degrees on all three days (all were records) at Organ Pipe National Monument.

Excessive Heat, Tucson Metro Area

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 15, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th and 15th with respective high temperatures of 107 (tied record) and 108 degrees at Tucson International Airport, and 108 and 107 degrees in the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation.

Excessive Heat, Southeast Pinal County

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 15, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southeast Pinal County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th and 15th with respective high temperatures of 107 (tied record) and 108 degrees at Tucson International Airport, and 108 and 107 degrees in the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation.

Excessive Heat, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to August 15, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 14th and 15th with respective high temperatures of 107 (tied record) and 108 degrees at Tucson International Airport, and 108 and 107 degrees in the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation.

Heat, Upper San Pedro River Valley

When
August 14, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Above normal temperatures occurred in the San Pedro River Valley of Cochise County on August 14th. High temperatures were ranged from the upper 90s in the southwest part of the county to the lower 100s in northwest sections. The warmest temperature was 105 degrees in Cascabel which tied a record for the date. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult female near the International Border in the vicinity of Palominas.

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, Upper San Pedro River Valley2019-08-1435FemaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.
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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2019

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 854710, 875327, 875329, 875331, 875333, 875334, 875338.