Strengthening high pressure centered over the Great Basin led to temperatures warming upwards of 5-7 degrees above normal for Phoenix. The warmest temperatures during this time peaked at 108 degrees in Phoenix on the 5th.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.
Strengthening high pressure centered over the Great Basin led to temperatures warming upwards of 5-7 degrees above normal for Phoenix. The warmest temperatures during this time peaked at 108 degrees in Phoenix on the 5th. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, five fatalities occurred due to the heat.
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 Jun 4, 9:55 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 955 PM MST Fri Jun 4 2021 .UPDATE...06Z aviation discussion. && .SYNOPSIS... Above normal temperatures this weekend resulting in widespread moderate to localized high heat risk will cool back towards the climatological average early next week. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible again this afternoon over elevated terrain of eastern Arizona with just remnant debris clouds drifting over lower desert communities Saturday. With a low pressure system approaching the west coast next week leading to the cooler temperatures, more pronounced dry air will push back into the entire region. && .DISCUSSION... A 589dm H5 anti-cyclone center has slowly migrated into far NW Arizona early this afternoon, and will continue its southeast progression across the state over the next 36 hours. On the eastern periphery of this high pressure ridge, one notable circulation center and arm of vorticity has swept through eastern AZ/western NM while another much more subtle feature was diving south through central UT. High terrain forced convection will be common again this afternoon with the remnant midlevel moisture juxtaposed with steep lapse rates drifting into south-central Arizona overnight. Forecast BUFR soundings suggest another round of accas/virga Saturday morning; however with weaker ascent fields and high pressure settling overhead, activity will likely be less robust and evaporating more rapidly through the morning. Thus with all other thermodynamic measures similar to today, a near persistence temperature forecast looks quite valid resulting in another day of widespread moderate heat risk posing a potential impact to sensitive groups, those reluctant to run their air conditioner, or those performing strenuous outdoor activities and unprepared for this heat. The pattern evolution for the majority of next week will feature the aforementioned high pressure ridge becoming dampened and displaced into northern Mexico while deep, longwave troughing becomes established over the East Pacific basin. Given the current blocking nature to the pattern, forward progression of longwave features would not be expected resulting in more modest height falls and subtle cooling across the forecast area. Aside from a handful of CMC ensemble members maintaining strong ridging across the SW Conus, the vast majority of ensemble membership matches close to the ensemble mean depicting enhanced, dry southwest flow and H5 heights hovering in a 580-590dm range. Thus, "cooling" associated with this system during the middle of the week may only equate to ~5F (or just back to near the climatological average). This pattern of persistent dry southwest flow and near normal temperatures may continue into next weekend, though there is about 1/3 of ensemble membership trying to show a pattern retrogression with a reintroduction of stronger ridging and higher heat risk. && .AVIATION...Updated at 0455Z. South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT: Drainage easterly winds will take over around 7/8Z this evening, with speeds mainly aob 8 kts. Periods of variable wind directions also possible overnight due to the lighter wind speeds, especially at KSDL and KDVT. Winds will switch back to the southwest early tomorrow afternoon and become breezy again with gusts to 20-25 kts around and after 20Z. Similarly to tonight, winds speeds will begin to weaken around 3/4Z tomorrow evening. Few to scattered clouds aoa mainly 15 kft will thin out overnight and tomorrow. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: At KBLH, winds will favor the south-southwest. Speeds will remain elevated around 15 kts through around 09Z before picking up again tomorrow afternoon (gusts to 20-25 kts). At KIPL, southeast winds will be favored, outside of a period between now and 09Z where winds will be out of the southwest. Wind speeds will become elevated tomorrow afternoon around 10-15 kts. Otherwise, skies will remain clear to mostly clear at both terminals through the TAF period. && .FIRE WEATHER... Monday through Friday: An elevated fire danger will exist during the first half of next week with conditions becoming more typical for mid June towards the latter half of the week. Early in the week, afternoon humidity levels should easily fall below 10% coincident with wind gusts 20-30 mph and very dry fuels. Full sunshine and temperatures near to slightly above the seasonal average will only exacerbate the fire threat. Wind speeds will relax somewhat beyond midweek, however minimum humidity levels will still fall into the single digits with periodically gusty afternoon winds. Overnight recovery will be poor to fair only around a 15-40% range. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters should follow standard reporting procedures. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...None. CA...None. && DISCUSSION...MO/Benedict AVIATION...Feldkircher FIRE WEATHER...MO
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.
Three fatalities (one direct and two indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.
One indirect fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale | 2021-06-05 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2021-06-06 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2021-06-06 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2021-06-06 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2021-06-07 | Unknown | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2021
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: 1060981, 1060982, 1060983.