Excessive Heat — Gila River Valley, Arizona

2023-08-26 to 2023-08-30 · Gila River Valley, Arizona

Wider weather episode

A strong upper level ridge of high pressure over the Great Plains retrograded westward to the western United States, leading to excessive heat conditions across the region. High temperatures observed at Phoenix Sky Harbor for the end of the month reached between 109-117 degrees with record highs in Phoenix set on the 27-29th. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, there were 35 heat-associated fatalities that occurred during this time.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1218156. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.