Arizona, 2019

Excessive Heat and Heat in Arizona, September 3 to 5, 2019

September 3 to 5, 2019 · NWS PSR · 20 events in 17 counties and zones

Strong high pressure centered near the Four Corners led to well above normal temperatures and excessive heat warning conditions across the region. Four direct fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
4
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
20

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 centered near the Four Corners led to well above normal temperatures and excessive heat warning conditions across the region. Four direct fatalities were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. One of these fatalities was a 3 year old girl who was left in a hot vehicle for 2 to 3 hours as reported by local media.

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 Sep 2, 10:58 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 2, 10:58 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 2, 9:22 PM MST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 2, 9:50 PM MST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 2, 10:22 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 2, 10:25 PM MST, 1 hour 35 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

18 excessive heat, 2 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
September 3, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix 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)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Heat, East Valley

When
September 3, 10:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hot temperatures on September 3rd stayed just below excessive heat warning thresholds but were still sufficient to cause a fatality when a 3 year old girl was left inside a car for a few hours during the late morning. The high temperature in Phoenix was about 109 degrees. According to a KTAR news report, a 3 year old was left in a car for 2 to 3 hours during late morning; rescue teams responded to a residential area near Higley and Elliot roads in Gilbert after more than one call was received about a child in a vehicle. Responders performed CPR on the girl, who was later taken to a hospital where she died.

Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix 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)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

Excessive Heat, Aguila Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Aguila Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Northwest Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Northwest Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Buckeye/Avondale forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Cave Creek/New River

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Cave Creek/New River forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Deer Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Deer Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
North Phoenix/Glendale forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, East Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, South Mountain/Ahwatukee

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
South Mountain/Ahwatukee forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southeast Valley/Queen Creek forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Northwest Pinal County

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Northwest Pinal County forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Apache Junction/Gold Canyon forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.904, -111.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Tonto Basin

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Tonto Basin forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Parker Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Parker Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.729, -113.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Yuma

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Yuma forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.769, -113.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Gila River Valley

When
September 4, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Gila River Valley forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.769, -113.906 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
September 5, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise 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)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender and circumstances unavailable.

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, Central Phoenix2019-09-03UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2019-09-033FemaleVehicle/Towed TrailerDirect
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2019-09-04UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2019-09-05UnknownDirect

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
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, September 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: 931199, 931200, 931207, 931212, 931213, 931214, 931215, 931216, 931217, 931218, 931220, 931221, 931222, 931223, 931224, 931225, 931226, 931227, 931228, 931210.