Arizona, 2019Heat in Arizona, August 27, 2019
August 27, 2019 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Hot temperatures were recorded across southeast Arizona on August 27th. One heat-related fatality occurred in southeast Pima County.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- 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.
Hot temperatures were recorded across southeast Arizona on August 27th. One heat-related fatality occurred in southeast Pima County.
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 Aug 27, 9:50 AM MST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 27, 9:50 AM MST, 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
950 AM MST Tue Aug 27 2019
.SYNOPSIS...Isolated to scattered thunderstorms this afternoon and
evening especially near mountains. Expect scattered mainly afternoon
and evening thunderstorms Wednesday into early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...Today was still looking like the hottest day of the
week, as some deeper moisture moves back into the region and brings
with it the prospects of increasing rain chances. That said, the
current forecast looked on track. Please refer to the additional
sections for more details.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 28/18Z.
Isolated to scattered -TSRA/-SHRA this afternoon and evening
especially near mountains. Any -TSRA/-SHRA expected to dissipate 06Z-
09Z Wednesday. Otherwise, clear skies to few clouds above 20k ft MSL
thru 16Z becoming scattered to broken clouds 10k-15k ft MSL this
afternoon and continuing into this evening. Clouds generally
dissipating late tonight/early Wednesday morning. Surface wind
variable in direction and mainly under 12 kts. The exception is
vicinity KSAD with nwly surface wind 12-20 kts and gusts near 25 kts
late this afternoon. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF
amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Isolated to scattered thunderstorms this afternoon
and evening mainly near mountains. Scattered thunderstorms will then
prevail across much of the area Wednesday into next Monday. The best
timing for thunderstorm occurrence will be during the afternoon and
evening hours. However, some nighttime and early morning hours will
also be affected. Aside from thunderstorm wind gusts, 20-foot winds
will be terrain driven mainly under 15 mph.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...Upper ridge axis extended from northern
California southeastward into the Texas Big Bend early this morning.
Dry conditions to prevail this morning followed by isolated to
scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly near mountains this
afternoon and evening. The bulk of showers/tstms will end late
tonight. However, the official forecast continues with isolated
showers/tstms late tonight/early Wednesday morning east of Tucson.
The 27/00Z GFS/GEFS and ECMWF/EPS remained quite consistent versus
their respective 00Z solutions from 24-48 hours ago regarding the
depiction of the upper pattern over the eastern North Pacific and
western U.S. starting Wednesday and continuing into Labor Day.
Strong high pressure aloft remains progged to consolidate over
southern California Wednesday into Friday. Some ensembles suggest
the presence of a weak disturbance aloft approaching the area from
the east by Wednesday evening. Various other solutions including
NAM12 and Univ of AZ WRF-NAM and WRF-GFS suggest that the coverage
of showers/tstms will be enhanced across the area Wednesday
afternoon and Wednesday as a result of this approaching feature.
As such, the official forecast continues with scattered showers/
tstms across much of southeast Arizona Wednesday afternoon into
Wednesday evening. Showers and thunderstorms should gradually
decrease in coverage late Wednesday night. Similar coverage of
showers and thunderstorms should occur Thursday into Friday, with
the timing for showers/tstms favoring the afternoon/evening hours.
The upper high by Saturday continues to be progged to move
northeastward toward southern Nevada. The associated nely mid-level
steering flow is then progged to transition toward mainly ely to
perhaps ely/sely flow Sunday into Monday as the upper high moves
toward the Four Corners region. This favorable flow environment in
combination with progged moisture justifies the continuation of
scattered showers/tstms during the upcoming holiday weekend and
Labor Day. Given the progged flow and various moisture fields, the
potential exists for showers/tstms to continue well into the late
night/early morning hours as well.
High temps this afternoon and Wednesday are expected to generally
range about 4-9 degrees above normal. High temps Thursday into Labor
Day will trend closer to seasonal normals, or a few degrees above
normal depending upon location.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.
&&
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Heat, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys
- When
- August 27, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 31.812, -111.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Above normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona on August 27th. High temperatures included 105 degrees at the Tucson International Airport, 107 degrees at Sells and 104 degrees (record high) at Sasabe. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult male 11 miles south of Three Points.
- 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.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, August 27, 2019$34,000 · 55 kt wind · 23 events
- Hail in Texas, August 27, 2019$50,000 · 1.75 in hail · 6 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds and Waterspout in Lake Superior, August 27, 201952 kt wind · 26 events
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, August 27, 201950 kt wind · 18 events
- Heat in California, August 27, 201915 events
- Drought in Texas, August 27 to 31, 20196 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 27, 2019$5,000 · 1 in hail · 5 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds and Waterspout in Lake Superior, August 27, 201960 kt wind · 4 events
- Flash Flood and Hail in New Mexico, August 27, 20191 in hail · 4 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Michigan, August 27, 20193 events
- Waterspout in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, August 27, 20192 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Michigan, August 27, 20192 events
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: 875351.