Arizona, 2019

Excessive Heat in Arizona, June 12 to 13, 2019

June 12 to 13, 2019 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Very hot temperatures were experienced in parts of southeast Arizona on June 12th and 13th with high temperatures nearing or equaling established records. Two heat-related fatalities occurred--one in western Pima County and another on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 experienced in parts of southeast Arizona on June 12th and 13th with high temperatures nearing or equaling established records. Two heat-related fatalities occurred--one in western Pima County and another on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

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 12, 2:50 AM MST, 7 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 2:50 AM MST, 7 hours 10 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

2 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Western Pima County

When
June 12, 10:00 AM MST to June 13, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Western Pima County forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Well above normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona June 12th and 13th. Respective high temperatures were 111 (record tied) and 109 degrees at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, 110 and 112 (record tied) degrees at Ajo and 108 degrees both days at Sells. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for two individuals. One was a female child who perished on the 12th just north of the International Border west of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The second was an adult female who died on the 13th northwest of Sells on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Excessive Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation

When
June 12, 10:00 AM MST to June 13, 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 in southeast Arizona June 12th and 13th. Respective high temperatures were 111 (record tied) and 109 degrees at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, 110 and 112 (record tied) degrees at Ajo and 108 degrees both days at Sells. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for two individuals. One was a female child who perished on the 12th just north of the International Border west of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The second was an adult female who died on the 13th northwest of Sells on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

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, Western Pima County2019-06-126FemaleOutside/Open AreasDirect
Excessive Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation2019-06-1320FemaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 875117, 875118.