Excessive Heat in Tonopah Desert, Arizona

A broad upper level ridge over the Desert Southwest led to continued above normal temperatures along with excessive heat conditions for the middle part of September. Temperatures most afternoons during this time in Phoenix topped out around 108-109 degrees. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 10 heat-associated fatalities occurred during this time. One of these fatalities included a person who died while hiking in Scottsdale. According to local media reports, a couple from Rhode Island started hiking around noon on the 12th at Brown's Ranch Trailhead in Scottsdale. After splitting up during the hike, the wife never returned to their meeting location. Local authorities responded and discovered that the wife had succumbed to the heat.