Arizona, 2020

Heat in Arizona, June 21, 2020

June 21, 2020 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Above normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona on June 21st with high temperatures around 105 degrees on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult male south 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.

Above normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona on June 21st with high temperatures around 105 degrees on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult male south 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 21, 7:55 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 7:55 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...corrected
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
755 AM MST Sun Jun 21 2020

.SYNOPSIS...Strong high pressure aloft will provide hotter than
normal daytime temperatures during the upcoming week. Dry conditions
across much of the area into next weekend, although a few afternoon
dry thunderstorms may develop near the White Mountains Tuesday
through next Saturday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A clear sky prevailed across the area early Sunday
morning with areas of thin high clouds pushing south across the
northern half of Arizona. Highs today, on the first full day of
summer, will be at or a few degrees warmer than Saturday.

Main story for the remainder of the forecast will be the ongoing
wildfires across the area and the return of very hot temperatures to
the area. Hottest days at this time appear to be Wednesday thru
Friday. A few lower elevation areas could be as hot as 110 to 111
degrees. This is normally the hottest time of the year where the
most extreme daily record high temperatures exist.

The only area to see a slight chance of mainly dry thunderstorms
from Tuesday on will be across the White mountains where limited
moisture exists.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 22/12Z.
SKC to few thin cirrus AOA 25k ft AGL. Surface wind light and
variable this morning becoming Wly/Nwly 8-12 kts with gusts to
20 kts this afternoon then becoming light and variable again after
sunset. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Expect dry conditions for the next seven days with
the exception of the afternoons from Tuesday through Saturday when
there is a slight chance for mainly dry thunderstorms over the
White Mountains. Wind speeds will be typical for June through
midweek with some elevated northwest winds in the upper Gila River
Valley Monday into Wednesday. Wind speeds then become elevated
starting Thursday into next weekend area wide. Minimum humidity
levels will remain low with poor overnight recoveries. Haines 5 &
6 conditions will be possible over the next week mainly from
Tucson eastward.

&&

.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 21, 11:00 AM MST to 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)

Above normal temperatures occurred in south central Pima County on June 21st. High temperatures included 106 degrees at Sells and 104 degrees at Sasabe. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one adult male 2 miles southwest of Topawa, 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
Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation2020-06-2124MaleOutside/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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2020

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: 906033.