Heat — Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys, Arizona

2018-06-22 to 2018-06-23 · Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys, Arizona

Event narrative

Well above normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona on June 22nd and 23rd. Temperatures as hot as 108 degrees occurred at Ajo, Picacho and Safford Airport with 107 at Sasabe (record) and Sells and 106 at Tucson International Airport and Green Valley. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for two adults, one west of Ruby in Santa Cruz County on the 22nd and another on the Tohono O'odham Nation in southwest Pinal County on the 23rd.

Wider weather episode

Hot temperatures were experienced in parts of southeast Arizona on June 22nd and 23rd. Two heat-related fatalities occurred--one on the Tohono O'odham Nation and another in western Santa Cruz County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 861910. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.