Arizona, 2025Excessive Heat in Arizona, August 6 to 8, 2025
August 6 to 8, 2025 · NWS TWC · 6 events in 4 counties and zones
Temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were near 6 to 13 degrees above normal with Major to Extreme HeatRisk. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a factor in the cause of death for 9 individuals.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 9
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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.
Temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were near 6 to 13 degrees above normal with Major to Extreme HeatRisk. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a factor in the cause of death for 9 individuals. Heat was the primary factor for three people and six were heat contributed. An Extreme Heat Warning was in effect for all the lower elevations in Southeastern Arizona and tied the hottest high temperatures of 2025.
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 Aug 6, 9:16 AM MST, 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- -Dangerously hot temperatures continue across southeast Arizona peaking today through Thursday. Extreme Heat Warning in effect through 8 PM Friday evening. Potential for record to near-record high temperatures exists for multiple locations. -Isolated shower and thunderstorm activity expected today and Thursday mainly south and southwest of Tucson. Storms that do develop may produce gusty outflow winds, blowing dust, and brief moderate to heavy rainfall. -Low grade monsoon pattern continues Friday. Some moisture increase this weekend with isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms for most of southeast Arizona into early next week.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 9:16 AM MST, 44 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
916 AM MST Wed Aug 6 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Very hot weather will continue this week with high
temperatures near monthly August records for some locales today and
Thursday. A low grade monsoon pattern continues with chances of
precipitation Thursday mainly south to southwest of Tucson and in
the White Mountains. While a low grade monsoon pattern will continue
into the weekend, precipitation chances expand to much of the
remainder of southeast Arizona. Above normal temperatures will
also remain into next week.
&&
.UPDATE...This morning satellite water vapor shows a finger of
moisture extending north through central to western Pima County.
There was a light shower south of the International Border which
has already dissipated in the last two hours. Precipitable water
content values are around 1.0-1.2 inches while Tucson and east
are hovering around 0.75 inches. Therefore, we are on track for
afternoon isolated thunderstorms developing along the
International Border and Nogales, moving to the north-northwest.
Storm coverage will fill little more across the region, but
favoring the better instability and moisture which are west and
south of Tucson, the Sky Islands, and up towards the White
Mountains. Expect strong gusty winds and brief rainfall from the
thunderstorms.
Otherwise, we are on track to experience, and even feel, very hot
to record breaking temperatures across Southeast Arizona. Extreme
Heat Warning is in effect through Friday.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
-Dangerously hot temperatures continue across southeast Arizona
peaking today through Thursday. Extreme Heat Warning in effect
through 8 PM Friday evening. Potential for record to near-record
high temperatures exists for multiple locations.
-Isolated shower and thunderstorm activity expected today
and Thursday mainly south and southwest of Tucson.
Storms that do develop may produce gusty outflow winds,
blowing dust, and brief moderate to heavy rainfall.
-Low grade monsoon pattern continues Friday. Some moisture
increase this weekend with isolated to scattered showers and
thunderstorms for most of southeast Arizona into early next week.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 228 AM MST Wed Aug 6 2025/ \
The peak of this heat wave that we've been talking about for many
days is now with us today and Thursday as high temperatures will
be at or near all-time August record highs for many southeast
Arizona cities. Use extreme caution when spending time outdoors.
Wear light colored and loose fitting clothing. Take plenty of
breaks. Stay hydrated and remain indoors in an air conditioned
space, especially during the hours of peak daytime heating.
The strong high pressure aloft will be centered just to our east in
NM over the next couple of days. The combination of subsidence from
the mid/upper level high and lower PWAT values east of Tucson will
result in mostly dry conditions east of Tucson with the low grade
monsoon pattern (isolated showers and thunderstorms) continuing to
focus on locales south to southwest of Tucson both today and
Thursday. Even for these areas south to southwest of Tucson, where
PWAT's are in the 1 to 1.2 inch range, we aren't expecting very
sustained deep updrafts but for those storms that do form, expect
gusty outflow winds and brief downpours under the cores.
The Extreme Heat Warning continues Friday, however temperatures will
be about 3 to 6 degrees lower than today and Thursday. The low grade
monsoon pattern will continue on Friday. Some moisture increase is
expected this weekend and that will help expand precipitation
chances to much of the remainder of our forecast area Saturday into
early next week but it's still trending towards a lower to mid grade
(at best) pattern as the high pressure aloft remains nearby and are
more reliant on moisture pushes from Sonora and the Gulf of
California. Daytime temperatures Saturday through Tuesday will be
about 3 to 6 degrees above normal.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 07/18Z
Mainly SKC this morning, then SCT to locally BKN clouds 10-15k ft
AGL mainly to the south and southwest of KTUS aft 06/18Z thru end
of valid period. Isolated -SHRA/-TSRA possible expected mainly to
the south and southwest of KTUS 06/18Z-07/04Z including KOLS
terminal. Gusty winds expected in and near -SHRA/-TSRA. Otherwise,
SFC winds light and variable this morning, then becoming WLY/NWLY
at 8-12 kts aft 06/18Z before diminishing again aft 07/04Z. Aviation
discussion not updated for TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Very hot temperatures all this week, as highs peak
at 8-14 degrees above normal through Thursday. A low grade monsoon
pattern continues through Friday, focused in areas south to
southwest of Tucson and in the White Mountains. A low grade pattern
will continue this weekend but precipitation chances do expand to
most of southeast Arizona. Min RH values areawide will continue
around 8-15 percent through Thursday, then 14-23 percent starting
Friday. Mountain readings climb into the 20-30 percent range
Saturday into early next week.
&&
.CLIMATE...All-time August record highs including date and
forecast highs for Wednesday and Thursday.
WED FCST THU FCST
Ajo 118 on August 28, 2023 113 113
Organ Pipe Cactus 116 on August 5, 1995 112 112
Picacho Peak 114 on August 28, 1998 113 114
Tucson Intl airport 112 on August 1, 1993 112 112
Safford (town) 110 on August 16, 2024 109 109
Willcox 108 on August 1, 2020 106 105
Nogales (town) 107 on August 5, 2023 105 104
Douglas airport 106 on August 5, 2023 105 104
Sierra Vista 105 on August 6, 2023 102 102
DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR SELECT CITIES THIS WEEK.
DATE Aug 06 Aug 07 Aug 08
FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR FCST RCD/YR
TUCSON INTL AIRPORT 112 109/2018 112 108/1995 106 108/2012
AJO 113 113/2019 113 114/2018 106 112/2001
ORGAN PIPE CACTUS 112 113/1995 111 113/1995 105 113/1995
PICACHO PEAK 113 113/1995 114 113/1995 108 110/1995
SAFFORD AG STATION 109 108/1995 109 106/2018 106 106/1995
SIERRA VISTA FD 102 105/2023 102 101/2018 98 99/2012
TOMBSTONE 103 104/2023 102 103/2018 99 102/1995
WILLCOX 106 107/2023 105 106/2018 102 106/2012
&&
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM MST Friday for AZZ501>509-515.
&&
Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/TucsonExcessive Heat, Upper San Pedro River Valley
- When
- August 6, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 6 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. A Benson CWOP site reached a high temperature of 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the cause of death for an individual in Benson.
Excessive Heat, Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet
- When
- August 6, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 7 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. A Willcox CWOP site reached a high temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was the primary factor in the cause of death for an individual in Willcox.
Excessive Heat, Tucson Metro Area
- When
- August 6, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 11 degrees above normal, causing Extreme HeatRisk. The Tucson International Airport reached a high temperature of 111 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was the a contributing factor in the cause of death for an individual in Tucson.
Excessive Heat, Tucson Metro Area
- When
- August 7, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 13 degrees above normal, causing Extreme HeatRisk. The Tucson International Airport reached a high temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and was the hottest temperature reached in 2025. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was the primary factor in the cause of death for two individuals, one in Tucson and one in Marana.
Excessive Heat, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
- When
- August 7, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 13 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. The Safford Agricultural Center reached a high temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the cause of death for an individual in Safford.
Excessive Heat, Tucson Metro Area
- When
- August 8, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tucson Metro Area forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 3 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 32.097, -111.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 7 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. The Tucson International Airport reached a high temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the cause of death for three individuals in Tucson.
- Excessive Heat
- Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding in North Carolina, August 6, 20252 deaths · $128,000 · 7 events
- High Surf in American Samoa, August 6, 20251 death · 1 injured · 1 event
- Heat in Texas, August 6 to 8, 20254 injured · 31 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Iowa, August 6 to 7, 202578 kt wind · 9 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Florida, August 6, 2025$2,000 · 50 kt wind · 7 events
- Flooding in South Dakota, August 6 to 10, 20256 events
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, August 6, 20254 events
- Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, August 6 to 7, 2025$2,000 · 4 events
- Flash Flooding in North Carolina, August 6, 20254 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, August 6, 20254 events
- Excessive Heat in Arizona, August 6 to 7, 20253 events
- Excessive Heat in California, August 6 to 7, 20253 events
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: 1290872, 1290873, 1290877, 1290880, 1290886, 1290969.