Name: Heat in Arizona, June 6 to 7, 2021
Start: 2021-06-06T12:00
End: 2021-06-07T19:00
Location: Arizona

Where it happened

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.

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: 3
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 in the upper 90s to 100 degrees were experienced on June 6-7 in the lower elevations of southern Pima County. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for three males found in the desert, one on the Tohono O'odham Nation and 2 in southeast Pima County.

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 6, 3:01 AM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 6, 3:01 AM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
301 AM MST Sun Jun 6 2021

.SYNOPSIS...High pressure will continue to influence our weather
through the upcoming week with near to slightly warmer than
normal temperatures and dry weather. Afternoon breeziness is
expected into early this week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Seasonably hot temperatures with afternoon
breeziness through much of the upcoming week. Building high
pressure aloft from the south will bring hotter daytime
temperatures to the area Friday into next weekend. It's June.

&&

.AVIATION...Valid through 07/12Z.
FEW-SCT 14-18k ft MSL east of KTUS thru the fcst pd otrw SKC.
SFC winds vrbl less than 10 kts this mrng, bcmg SW-W 12-20 kts
with gusts up to 30 kts btwn 08/18z and 07/02z, then bcmg vrbl
less then 10 kts thru end of valid pd. Aviation discussion not
updated for TAF amendments.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Dry and seasonably hot with afternoon breezes
through the upcoming week. Minimum RHs will generally be in the
single digits in the valleys and 8-15% mountains with poor
overnight recoveries. Today and Monday will again be fairly breezy
with elevated fire weather conditions across much of the area,
however critical conditions should be isolated and of short
duration if they occur.

&&

.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

3 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation

When: June 6, 12:00 PM MST to June 7, 7:00 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)

Hot temperatures, 5 to 10 degrees above normal, were experienced on June 6-7 with high temperatures in the upper 90s to 100 degrees, causing the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for three males found in the desert, one on the Tohono O'odham Nation near Vamori, one near Arivaca, and another north of Amado.

Heat, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys

When: June 6, 12:00 PM MST to June 7, 7:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 31.812, -111.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hot temperatures, 5 to 10 degrees above normal, were experienced on June 6-7 with high temperatures in the upper 90s to 100 degrees, causing the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for three males found in the desert, one on the Tohono O'odham Nation near Vamori, one near Arivaca, and another north of Amado.

Heat, Tucson Metro Area

When: June 6, 12:00 PM MST to June 7, 7:00 PM MST
Where: Tucson Metro Area 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)

Hot temperatures, 5 to 10 degrees above normal, were experienced on June 6-7 with high temperatures in the upper 90s to 100 degrees, causing the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for three males found in the desert, one on the Tohono O'odham Nation near Vamori, one near Arivaca, and another north of Amado.

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.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Heat, Tohono O Odham Nation	2021-06-07	40	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Heat, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys	2021-06-06	47	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Heat, Tucson Metro Area	2021-06-07	45	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 970488, 970490, 970491.