Excessive Heat in California

Events

1,491

Deaths

77

Injuries

148

Damage

$7.5 million

• Excessive Heat in California, September 1 to 3, 200718 deaths · 12 eventsThe heat wave which started at the end of August continued into the first few days of September. The combination of above normal temperatures and relative humidity continued to produce excessive heat conditions across sections of Southern California.
• Excessive Heat in California, June 17 to 23, 201710 deaths · 2 injured · 4 eventsHigh pressure ridging brought an unusually long and strong heat wave for the month of June, with a remarkable 24 new record high temperatures and 16 record high minimum temperatures being set in the area.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 2 to 6, 202410 deaths · 4 eventsA prolonged and extended heat wave impacted the state of California from the early to the middle of July. An upper level ridge set up over the region, leading to a historically long period of dangerous heat.
• Excessive Heat in California, September 1, 20176 deaths · 2 eventsA strong upper level ridge brought widespread hot temperatures to the Bay Area leading up to and through Labor Day Weekend. Numerous daily and monthly records were broken as well as a few all time record max temperatures. Six Bay Area residents died as a result of the heat.
• Excessive Heat and Wildfire in California, September 4 to 30, 20201 death · 90 injured · 7 eventsA very strong upper level high pressure became positioned over California along with an offshore flow in Southern California resulting in record very hot temperatures. September 5th and 6th were the hottest and several all-time highs were broken.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in California, September 1 to 4, 20075 deaths · 4 injured · 16 eventsStrong high pressure and easterly flow brought hot, humid weather to much of Southern California.
• Excessive Heat and Wildfire in California, August 14 to 31, 20204 deaths · 18 injured · 61 kt wind · 29 eventsA prolonged and oppressive heat wave swept the Central Coast and Bay Area for almost a week from August 14th to August 19th with widespread record breaking temperatures observed across the region.
• Excessive Heat and Wildfire in California, June 13 to 21, 20213 deaths · 3 injured · $1.0 million · 51 kt wind · 13 eventsA long lasting heat wave occurred across Southern California from June 14th through the 20th, where many daily records were broken. A wildfire also broke out in the Riverside County Mountains on the 13th, which led to damages and road closures.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 6 to 7, 20181 death · 50 injured · 4 eventsStrong broad upper level high pressure centered over Nevada and unusual weak offshore flow in July brought extreme hot temperatures and dry conditions to Southern California from July 6th through 8th.
• Excessive Heat and Wildfire in California, June 10 to 11, 20193 deaths · 1 injured · $5,000 · 8 eventsThe combination of high pressure and strong offshore flow resulted in an early season heat wave across the Bay Area from June 9th to the 11th. Multiple daily records were broken across the region and multiple power outages were reported due to the heat.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in California, July 2 to 13, 20242 deaths · 32 eventsA large upper ridge of high pressure pushes inland into California on July 2. This ridge provided our area with a hot and dry airmass which persisted for several days until the ridge moved east and temperatures cooled below dangerous levels on July 14.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 2 to 13, 20242 deaths · 9 eventsA long-duration heat event brought dangerously hot conditions with widespread Major to Extreme HeatRisk to interior Northern California over the first two weeks of July. Multiple temperature records were broken or tied over this timeframe.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 9 to 10, 20082 deaths · 5 eventsAn extreme heat event developed on July 8 across Interior Central CA as a strong ridge of high pressure setup across the region.
• Excessive Heat in California, August 14 to 20, 20202 deaths · 2 eventsA prolonged and significant heat wave occurred in mid August due to high pressure parked over California.
• Excessive Heat in California, August 22 to 27, 20112 deaths · 1 eventStrong high pressure developed over southeast California during the latter portion of August, leading to excessive heat across Joshua Tree National Park.
• Excessive Heat and Wildfire in California, April 1 to 4, 20211 death · 1 injured · $3.0 million · 11 eventsAn area of upper-level high pressure centered over the southwestern U.S. led to well-above average temperatures across Southern California, as well as elevated thunderstorm convection. Fog along the coast caused travel disruptions.
• Excessive Heat in California, September 4 to 9, 20221 death · 1 injured · 12 eventsStrong high pressure over interior northern California brought widespread high to very high heat risk to the region. Triple-digit high temperatures were observed across most of the Central Valley, Delta, and foothills through the first 9 days of September.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 3 to 12, 20241 death · 1 injured · 7 eventsAn exceptionally prolonged and intense heat wave broke many daily and even all-time temperature records. One person died and another became seriously ill in Death Valley from heat-related causes.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 4 to 5, 20071 death · 1 injured · 4 eventsHigh pressure over the western United States brought record heat to Northern California on July 4 and 5th.
• Excessive Heat in California, August 13 to 20, 20201 death · 11 eventsStrong high pressure over the region allowed for temperatures to reach excessive heat conditions for multiple days across southeast California.
• Excessive Heat in California, September 4 to 7, 20201 death · 11 eventsA strong and expansive area of high pressure led to excessive heat conditions across southeast California during the Labor Day weekend. Temperatures during this period of excessive heat reached upwards of around 115-120 degrees across the region.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 5 to 8, 20201 death · 1 injured · 2 eventsAn upper high pressure over the Desert Southwest led to hot and dry weather for portions of the inland areas of Southern California, which contributed to heat related illness and even a fatality.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 1 to 3, 20231 death · 7 eventsExcessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days. One person died in Death Valley as a result.
• Excessive Heat in California, July 14 to 18, 20231 death · 7 eventsA severe long-duration heat wave covered much of the southwest US for ten days (this episode continues under July 19-23 Excessive Heat). One person died of heat-related causes in Death Valley.
• Excessive Heat in California, August 26 to 31, 20191 death · 6 eventsA prolonged excessive heat episode affected nearly all of the lower elevations of the Mojave Desert. The episode continued into September.

Excessive Heat everywhereEvery kind of event in California

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.