Excessive Heat — Greater Phoenix Area, Arizona

2013-06-02 · Greater Phoenix Area, Arizona

Event narrative

Strong high pressure aloft developed during the first weekend of June, and on June 2nd, high temperatures reached to 110 degrees across the south central Arizona deserts, including the greater Phoenix area. The high temperature at Sky Harbor Airport was 109 degrees. As a result of the heat, an Excessive Heat Warning was issued for the Phoenix area, running from 10 am until 8 pm. A 21 year old Arizona man went hiking in the White Tank Mountains during the morning hours on Sunday; he left at 630 am with 2 friends to go on a 10 mile hike along Ford Canyon. At about 11:30 am, his friends called for help, stating that he was cramping and had passed out. They tried to perform CPR on him; meanwhile MCSO rescue teams arrived by helicopter and they pronounced him dead - a result of the heat. The man was wearing black jeans and a tee shirt, and the temperature was over 100 degrees when the call came in. Despite having enough water to drink, the man succumbed to the heat and died. The excessive heat also caused problems a day earlier; on Saturday the first, crews were dispatched multiple times to Piestewa Peak for medical calls. According to Scottsdale Fire Captain Tim Cooper, for one such call, a man had a fainting episode due to dehydration and the heat.

Wider weather episode

Unseasonably strong high pressure developed across the desert southwest at the start of June, which caused high temperatures to approach 110 degrees on Sunday, the second of June. An Excessive Heat Warning was issued for the south central Deserts on the 2nd, which included the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The excessive heat led to the death of a hiker in the White Tank Mountains, and was also responsible for several heat related medical calls during the first part of the weekend.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 447633. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.