Heat returning to metro Phoenix but nothing like the 2017 streak

PHOENIX — The first day of summer in Arizona will arrive with a heat warning in place Thursday, with an expected high of 110 degrees.

It was likely to be a little hotter Friday at 111 degrees. OK, yes, that’s hot but it’s already better than last year’s summer debut when the Valley felt hotter than the inside of a brick oven and daily records were threatened.

Summer made its debut at a stifling 119 and marked the third of what would become 12 straight days of temperatures at least 109 degrees. There were nine days of 112 degrees.

The blistering actually began a few days before the official start of the summer season. On June 17, 2017, the National Weather Service said the high in Phoenix was 110 degrees, the hottest day of the year so far.

Little did we know we would begin to think of it as sweater weather.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

The high in Phoenix was 112 degrees. We knew it was going to get to worse because the weather experts told us repeatedly it would be about 116 on Monday.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Welp, it got worse than 116 by two degrees. It was bad enough for American Airlines to cancel about 50 flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport because its planes were guaranteed to withstand, at most, 118 degrees.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Timeanddate.com said it was 111 degrees at noon on June 20, 2015. Good times. Last year, the heat topped out at 119.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The day finished at 117 degrees. Dear heat monster, we get it: you’re in charge.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Only 113 degrees, an improvement, albeit kind of a sad one.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Wunderground reported the day’s maximum temperature was 112 degrees. Now we’re talking cooldown!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Jinxed it. High for the day was 116.

Monday, June 26, 2017

It was the 10th straight day of at least 110 degrees. The overnight low was 91.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

It was 108 degrees, the first time in 11 days it was under 110. Our long regional nightmarish streak was over.

The heat would creep back up to 112 on July 1, but the temperatures wouldn’t run up a tab like the one that recently ended again.

So, while this is coming up:

An Excessive Heat Warning has now been issued for Thursday and Friday (upgrading an earlier Watch) and it includes the greater Phoenix metropolitan area as well as the Globe area and the Imperial Valley…and the Yuma Area on Friday. Please stay well-hydrated! pic.twitter.com/JMUFU2nd9b

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) June 19, 2018

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