Excessive Heat in Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, Arizona

A strong upper level ridge strengthened over the Desert Southwest during the middle part of June with the center of high pressure becoming focused over the Four Corners region. As a result, temperatures warmed up well above normal reaching excessive heat conditions. High temperatures climbed at or above 115 degrees each day (6 days) between the 15th-20th, breaking Phoenix's record for consecutive days of 115+ degree temperatures. Temperatures in Phoenix peaked on the 17th at 118 degrees, breaking the record for the date and becoming the hottest temperature for the whole year. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, sixty heat-associated fatalities occurred as a result of this heat wave.