Arizona, 2023

Heat in Arizona, June 20 to 24, 2023

June 20 to 24, 2023 · NWS PSR · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

Dry southwesterly flow aloft over the region with an upper level ridge situated to the east over New Mexico and Texas resulted in temperatures climbing several degrees above normal in Phoenix going into the latter part of June. Temperatures in Phoenix peaked on the 21st and 22nd at 109 degrees.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

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The toll

Deaths
12
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 PSR wrote it up.

Dry southwesterly flow aloft over the region with an upper level ridge situated to the east over New Mexico and Texas resulted in temperatures climbing several degrees above normal in Phoenix going into the latter part of June. Temperatures in Phoenix peaked on the 21st and 22nd at 109 degrees. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 12 heat-associated fatalities occurred during this time.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 20, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two fatalities (1 direct and 1 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 21, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
June 21, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise Valley forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, East Valley

When
June 21, 5:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 22, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, East Valley

When
June 22, 5:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 23, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
June 23, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise Valley forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Northwest Valley

When
June 23, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northwest Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 24, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale

When
June 24, 5:00 PM MST
Where
North Phoenix/Glendale forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

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, Central Phoenix2023-06-20UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2023-06-20UnknownIndirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2023-06-21UnknownDirect
Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2023-06-21UnknownIndirect
Heat, East Valley2023-06-21UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2023-06-22UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2023-06-22UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2023-06-23UnknownIndirect
Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2023-06-23UnknownIndirect
Heat, Northwest Valley2023-06-23UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2023-06-24UnknownDirect
Heat, North Phoenix/Glendale2023-06-24UnknownIndirect

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2023

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1209357, 1209358, 1209360, 1209361, 1209362, 1209363, 1209364, 1209365, 1209366, 1209367, 1209368.