Excessive Heat — Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys, Arizona

2019-08-20 to 2019-08-21 · Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys, Arizona

Event narrative

Very hot temperatures occurred on August 20th and 21st, with respective high temperatures of 111 and 113 degrees at Ajo, 109 and 111 degrees (both records) at Picacho, 111 degrees on both days at Sells, 113 degrees on both days (both were records) at Organ Pipe National Monument, 109 and 110 degrees (both records) at Tucson International Airport, 105 and 107 degrees (both records) at Sasabe, 104 and 103 degrees (both records) at Nogales International Airport, 107 degrees on both days (both were records) at Safford airport, and 109 and 108 degrees in the Gila River Valley on the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that heat was the primary cause of death for two persons north of Arivaca on the 21st.

Wider weather episode

Very hot temperatures were recorded in southeast Arizona from Safford and the Tucson Metro westward on August 20th and 21st. Several new high temperature records were established. Two heat-related fatalities occurred in southern Pima County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 875343. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.