Phoenix's October heat wave is "unprecedented"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
People cool off under a mister in June in downtown Phoenix. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Phoenix is in the throes of an unprecedented heat wave expected to last at least until the end of the week.
Reality check: Our summers have always been hot, but recently they've been feeling longer, too.
- National Weather Service Phoenix meteorologist Ted Whittock said the Valley broke more heat records in the summer shoulder season — spring and fall in the past several years.
The big picture: Sky Harbor recorded 113° on Tuesday — the first time on record we've hit 110° in October.
- Before this year, the latest we'd ever seen 110° was Sept. 19, in 2010.
Zoom in: Our current heatwave is due to a strong high-pressure system that parked above the entire western U.S. last week and blocked cooler weather and precipitation from entering the Valley, Whittock told Axios.
- The system is forecast to dissipate next week, but higher-than-average temperatures are still expected through the first half of October, he said.
Between the lines: Research shows climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, longer-lasting and more frequent.
- Studies of specific extreme heat events, such as the deadly 2023 heat wave in the U.S. and Europe, have detected climate change's fingerprints.
- One study last year found record heat in the U.S., Europe and Asia in July would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change.
Stunning stat: The average monthly temperature this September was 94.6°, more than 2 degrees higher than the previous September record set in 2001.
- This year, Phoenix also recorded its hottest June, second hottest July and third hottest August.
The intrigue: When we organized a contest for readers to guess the number of 110-degree days in June, we set the cutoff for Sept. 30, thinking we couldn't possibly see a temperature that high in October.
- We forget that every summer seems to bring unprecedented surprises.
Yes, but: It doesn't actually matter because none of you guessed high enough.
- There've been 67 days of 110-degree weather so far. The closest guessers were Jerry H. and Sarabeth B. who predicted 61 days.
The bottom line: Don't let the date on the calendar lull you into a false sense of security. It's still dangerously hot and likely will be for a few more weeks.