The Valley’s hot streak will not let up. The extended heat wave causing sweltering temperatures has now reached 18 consecutive days over 110 degrees in Phoenix, tying the record set in 1974.
The heat wave is also taking down records elsewhere.
The scorching temperatures are the third-highest maximum average daily temperatures compared to other heat waves lasting over ten days.
The highest average occurred in 2017 during a heat wave that lasted 11 days averaging a maximum daily high of 114 degrees. The second longest consecutive day heat wave lasted 17 days with an average of 113.5°.
The current wave has surpassed the length of 1995 and will likely pass the average before it concludes as well. The average for the current heat wave that started on June 30 is 113.2°.
The other notable trend is what the urban heat island is doing to overnight lows. The heat wave from 1974, the previous record holder, frequently saw overnight lows dip below the 80s. Today’s extended heat wave had overnight temperatures rise above the 90s on day ten.
All the data collected for the heat wave is from the Sky Harbor weather station.
ABC15 looked at data for other stations around the state as well and analyzed temperature data for June 30 through July 14 in all the years data was available. In 35 of 209 stations across the state, this heat wave has had a maximum temperature hotter than during any previous year. Sky Harbor is on top of the list with a maximum daily high of 118°. Buckeye topped out at 117°. Stations at Scottsdale Airpark, ASU Tempe, and Falcon Field all recorded their highest temperatures for mid-July.
Yuma, Saguaro National Park, Globe, and Flagstaff were also at their hottest for the time period.
The heat wave is impacting other parts of the country as well. According to another data set from the National Weather Service over four hundred places met or broke temperature records for mid-July.
Raymond, Washington was nine degrees higher than the previous record. Lake Missouri surpassed the record by eight degrees. A weather station near Alcan, Alaska saw six degrees higher. Sacramento, California topped out at 109° to tie a record set in 1950, over 70 years ago.
