A ridge of high pressure centered over the Southwest led to slightly above normal temperatures with highs in Phoenix during this time peaking at 108 degrees on the 6th. Morning temperatures provided limited relief from the heat with lows in the mid to upper 80s.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
A ridge of high pressure centered over the Southwest led to slightly above normal temperatures with highs in Phoenix during this time peaking at 108 degrees on the 6th. Morning temperatures provided limited relief from the heat with lows in the mid to upper 80s. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 6 heat-associated fatalities occurred during this time.
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 Aug 6, 2:16 PM MST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 216 PM MST Sat Aug 6 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Limited storm chances will continue for today for Phoenix and the lower deserts, with better coverage across the higher terrain areas of eastern and southeastern Arizona. Better chances for more widespread storm activity is expected beginning Sunday and peaking in the middle of the week as moisture increases. Along with drier conditions for today, slightly above normal highs are likely this afternoon. && An elongated Monsoon ridge axis extends from the central plains SWrd through S-Cent AZ with SE flow through the mid-upper levels aloft. GOES WV imagery indicated a slot of drier air over SE AZ approaching the area while an area of elevated moisture with a weak disturbance was pushing W out of W-NW NM, where GOES imagery also indicated scattered CBs. Early afternoon radar showed the main area of scattered, mostly modest thunderstorms/convection across that same area and into the E-Cent AZ high terrain. The latest ACARS soundings show a slightly drier airmass with PW falling to slightly below 1.50" with moderate MUCAPE ~1900 j/kg along with small mid level caps. Today's proximity of the UL ridge axis along with the drier airmass will support a short warming trend across the region today. Slightly above normal highs this afternoon will likely reach 106-108 across the lower deserts with a high of 108 expected for Phoenix. For the western deserts highs of 107-109 are likely. As a result, moderate HeatRisk will be the main impact expected today with thunderstorm activity remaining largely confined to the high terrain of E, SE and S AZ this afternoon and evening. The HREF also maintains a potential for gusty thunderstorm outflow winds this evening, primarily across N Pinal Cty, with a 10-30% chance of wind gusts >30 kt capable of producing patchy to locally dense blowing dust there. Late tonight tonight to very early Sun HREF family members also signal for a secondary outflow and isolated to scattered showers/convection developing briefly across the lower deserts both around and W of Phoenix. Tomorrow evening the HREF/family members and the UAWRF-GFS favor a gradual increase in moisture and pushing an inverted trough/disturbance from W-NW NM into E to S-Cent AZ with convection descending off the E AZ high country into the lower deserts and Phoenix. Several members like the idea of keeping the more robust convection concentrated around the outskirts of Phoenix as the disturbance passes through. Strong and gusty, and possibly damaging, thunderstorm winds will be the main threat with these storms, although locally heavy rainfall could also impact more than just the high terrain and burn scar country. Going into the week the Grand Ensembles and Clusters agree on repositioning the high further W into the S Rockies. They are also in good agreement on a gradual, continual increase in moisture across the area with the SE flow along the SW flank of the high through the midweek period. The preferred NBM solution also agrees and is fairly bullish on elevated POPs and diurnal storm chances peaking near 40-50% through the midweek period for Phoenix and the lower deserts, as well as elevated POPs for SW AZ and SE CA. The preferred WPC QPF is looking for "storm" total QPF through midweek near 0.20" for the Phoenix metro with higher amounts featured for the open/lower deserts and high terrain areas. During this period flash flooding will become the main potential impact as heat and strong damaging winds largely take a back seat. Highs are expected to cool to slightly below normal by tomorrow and remain that way throughout the entire week. && .AVIATION...Updated 1720Z. South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT: Light easterly winds are becoming light southerly at this hour and will transition to westerly shortly. These winds will then continue through much of the day. Distant shower and thunderstorm activity will remain well east and south of the Valley this afternoon. The odds of an outflow boundary reaching Phoenix are less than 20 percent. If a boundary does materialize, winds would be out of the southeast with gusts below 35 kt. Diurnal easterlies will set in overnight but will change to southerly and become gusty for a few hours. A few virga showers may accompany this wind shift, especially south and west of Phoenix. A better chance of thunderstorm activity and strong gusty outflow winds will develop by Sunday late afternoon. Any clouds should remain at or above 12 kft. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: Winds will generally be light and variable at times through Sunday morning, which a period of breezy south to southeast winds will develop at both terminals. Wind gusts of up to 20 kts are possible. Clouds will generally remain SCT or less and at or above 15 kft. && .FIRE WEATHER... Dry conditions along with limited storm chances will continue for today. As moisture increases on Sunday, the chances for more widespread storm activity increases. Active monsoon storm conditions are likely to continue across the region through most of next week as moisture levels remain elevated. MinRHs for today will range between 15-25% across most areas and will range between 25-40% beginning Sunday and continuing through most of next week. Generally light winds with some occasional afternoon upslope gusts can be expected on a daily basis, with the exception of thunderstorm outflows generating stronger gusts. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...None. CA...None. && DISCUSSION...Sawtelle AVIATION...Hodges FIRE WEATHER...Lojero
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
307 PM MST Sat Aug 6 2022
AZZ535-062300-
Southeast Yuma County AZ-
307 PM MST Sat Aug 6 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Yuma
County through 400 PM MST...
At 307 PM MST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 37
miles south of Mohawk, or 47 miles west of Ajo, moving northwest at
10 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Yuma
County.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3218 11381 3220 11383 3229 11388 3239 11357
3208 11345
TIME...MOT...LOC 2207Z 154DEG 7KT 3219 11365
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
SDBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 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.
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.
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.
Two indirect fatalities 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, East Valley | 2022-08-06 | Unknown | Direct | ||
| Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale | 2022-08-07 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2022-08-07 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2022-08-08 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, Central Phoenix | 2022-08-08 | Unknown | Indirect | ||
| Heat, East Valley | 2022-08-08 | Unknown | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, August 2022
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: 1148939, 1148940, 1148941, 1148942, 1148943.