Phoenix to start August under excessive heat warning after July respite

PHOENIX – After a relatively mild July in metro Phoenix, the area will start August with a stretch of extreme heat.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an extreme heat warning for Friday and Saturday, when highs are expected to reach between 110 and 114 degrees in the Valley.

“That will trigger a major heat risk across the area, meaning that anyone who’s exposed to the heat may see some heat impacts if they don’t seek any adequate cooling or any form of hydration,” Gabriel Lojero, a meteorologist with the NWS in Phoenix, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday morning.

After a slight dip in temperatures Sunday and early next week, the Valley will likely see another extreme heat warning, Lojero said.

“We’re looking at potentially another extreme heat episode coming up by middle to late next week, which could actually be more impactful because we expect potentially high temperatures actually surpassing 115 degrees across the area,” he said.

Phoenix records could fall during stretch of extreme heat

In fact, highs could approach record levels in Phoenix on more than once in the coming days.

“Saturday, we’re forecasting a high of 113, and that actually will tie the record for the day of 113, which was last set in 2011,” Lojero noted. “And then it looks very likely that potentially we may break records with the following extreme heat episode mid to late next week.”

Due to the elevated risk, the following Phoenix hiking trails are restricted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on extreme heat warning days:

• Camelback Mountain: Echo Canyon Trail and Cholla trail.
• Phoenix Mountains Preserve: Piestewa Peak Summit Trail and associated trails.
• South Mountain Park and Preserve: Holbert Trail, Mormon Trail, Hau’Pal Loop Trail and access to the National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead.

“You cannot underestimate the dangers of the heat, as it’s the number one weather-related killer in the United States,” Lojero said.

July was a relief from previous years

The early August forecast is a shift from the current month. Through July 30, the average high temperature in Phoenix for the month was 107.5 degrees. While that’s 1 degree above the normal July average, it’s a big break from the previous two years.

The Phoenix average high for the last two Julys was 112.3 in 2024 and a blistering 114.7 in 2023.

You might recall that July 2023 was, at the time, the hottest month ever recorded in a U.S. city, according to the Arizona State Climate Office. Needles, California, took over the record in July 2024.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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