Arizona, 2021

Heat in Arizona, June 10, 2021

June 10, 2021 · NWS TWC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Hot temperatures topping out from 95 to 100 degrees were experienced on June 10 in mid slope areas of Santa Cruz County. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one male found in the Patagonia Mountains.

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.

Hot temperatures topping out from 95 to 100 degrees were experienced on June 10 in mid slope areas of Santa Cruz County. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one male found in the Patagonia Mountains.

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 10, 3:33 AM MST, 8 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 10, 3:33 AM MST, 8 hours 27 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
333 AM MST Thu Jun 10 2021

.SYNOPSIS...Strong high pressure will heat things up late in the
week into next week, with temperatures around 10 to 15 degrees
hotter than average Sunday through much of the week. We may see
enough of a moisture increase during the week for clouds and
thunderstorm chances to knock the heat back a bit in southern and
eastern areas by Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Satellite imagery showed scattered high clouds
moving across the area under southwest flow aloft. One more day
of near normal high temperatures before the heat cranks up.

Strong high pressure over northern Mexico will expand across the
desert southwest through early next week bringing record or near
record high temperatures starting Saturday through much of next
week. Much of the lower deserts will be highs in the 110-115
range. Excessive Heat Warnings for portions of the forecast area
starts Sunday and continues into next week.

We start picking up an easterly component to the mid-level flow on
Monday which will bring an increase in moisture across the area
starting as early as Monday where we may see a few mainly dry
thunderstorms across the White mountains both Monday and Tuesday.
At this time Wednesday has the potential to be an active early
monsoon day with modest moisture in place as possible weak
inverted trof passes through. Confidence at this time is low but
something to watch as we kick off Monsoon 2021.

The bottom line is that the atmosphere will likely support record
heat through the entire week. However, some moisture increase is
very likely next week. It may be sufficient to create enough cloud
cover and thunderstorm chances to mitigate some of the heat,
mainly the second half of the week.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 11/12Z.
VFR conditions with FEW-SCT clouds above 20k ft MSL. SFC winds light
and variable this morning, becoming WLY/NWLY 10-15 kts with gusts to
around 25 kts aft 10/18Z. Sfc winds then diminish to light and
variable once again aft 11/03Z. Aviation discussion not updated for
TAF amendments. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Dry and hot weather is expected into next week as
temperatures climb to well above normal levels. Some mid level
moisture increase is expected starting Monday, continuing to
increase Tuesday and Wednesday. Isolated mainly dry thunderstorms
are possible as early as Monday afternoon across the higher terrain
to the east of Tucson. The thunderstorm threat expands westward
Tuesday and Wednesday with perhaps enough moisture for a mix of
isolated dry and wet thunderstorms, though confidence is still low
on the details. Typical afternoon breezes with gusts to around 20-25
mph are expected each day into next week due to strong daytime
heating. Minimum humidities will generally be in the single digits
in the valleys and 6-12% in the mountains with poor overnight
recoveries through Monday. A slight improvement is expected
thereafter especially in the mountains and with improving overnight
recoveries areawide.

&&

.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 Excessive Heat Warning from 10 AM Sunday to 8 PM MST Wednesday
  for AZZ503-504-509.

 Excessive Heat Watch from Wednesday evening through Friday
  evening for AZZ503-504-509.

 Excessive Heat Warning from 10 AM Sunday to 9 PM MST Friday for
  AZZ501-502-505-506.

&&

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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

1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains

When
June 10, 12:00 PM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
31.834, -110.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hot temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees, or 4 to 8 degrees above normal occurred on June 10 in mid slope areas of Santa Cruz County, causing the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for one male found in the Patagonia Mountains.

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, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains2021-06-1031MaleOutside/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 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2021

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: 970495.