Phoenix endures 100 days of 100-degree temperatures as heat scorches western US

PHOENIX — Cam Ferguson arrives at his spot on the street adjacent to Chase Field — home of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks — about four hours before first pitch to set out his usual display of cold water, sports drinks, peanuts and candy.

At game time, the temperature in downtown Phoenix is ​​about 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on this Labor Day afternoon. Business is brisk.

“Two by five, but inside there are eight!” shouts another vendor, selling bottles of water. “Plus, they have some problems with the air conditioning.”

It’s always hot this time of year in central Arizona, but 2024 is proving to be an endless summer with especially high temperatures in Phoenix. On Tuesday, the city reached its 100th consecutive day with temperatures of at least 100 degrees. That long ago broke the record of 76 days in a row set in 1993, according to data from the National Weather Service.

“It’s definitely a striking number,” said NWS meteorologist Sean Benedict.

Scientists say human-caused climate change is turning up the thermostat around the world and increasing the likelihood of dangerous temperatures. That’s because the driver of global warming — the release of greenhouse gases from burning fuels like oil, gas and coal — remains largely unabated. Extreme weather events such as heat waves, wildfires, intense storms and prolonged droughts will continue to occur, researchers say.

The temperature hit 102°F (38.9°C) in Phoenix on May 27 and has hit triple digits every day since.

Benedict said long spells of desert heat are often interrupted by rain, but the monsoon hasn’t brought much. The persistent heat also started early, with triple-digit days already piling up in May.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any respite anytime soon.

Abnormally high temperatures are expected this week across the Western U.S., with an excessive heat warning forecast for Wednesday through Friday in Arizona cities including Phoenix and Lake Havasu City, as well as Las Vegas and other parts of Nevada including Laughlin and Pahrump.

The California desert communities of Palm Springs, Twentynine Palms, Needles and Barstow are also set to heat up, with highs reaching 118 F (47.7 C) in Furnace Creek in Death Valley later in the week.

Public health officials in Maricopa County, Arizona (home to Phoenix, the hottest metropolitan area in the United States) say that as of Aug. 24, there have been 150 confirmed heat-related deaths so far this year and another 443 are under investigation. Last year, there were 645 heat-related deaths in the county of about 4.5 million people.

Virtually no matter how you slice the data, 2024 marks another record-breaking summer of heat in Phoenix. It has been the hottest meteorological summer on record, which includes the months of June, July and August. And the story is the same across the Western U.S., with several places in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico setting or approaching records.

In Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, 181 heat-related deaths have been confirmed so far this year. But the death toll is likely much higher, officials say, because it takes up to three months for the Clark County coroner’s office to investigate the cause of death in about 90 percent of cases.

In 2023, there were 294 deaths in Clark County where heat played a role and more than 2,200 heat-related emergency room visits, according to data maintained by the Southern Nevada Health District.

Wildfire warnings were issued across California for an increased risk of wildfires. A fire that broke out Monday and was fueled by erratic winds left more than 500 residents in a remote forest community near Lake Tahoe without power. The Bear Fire, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Truckee, grew to more than 2 square miles (5 square km) by Tuesday morning, with no containment.

Cooling centers were set up across Los Angeles County, where officials urged residents to look out for their elderly, sick or vulnerable neighbors amid the soaring temperatures. “Hot days are not only uncomfortable, but they can also be dangerous,” said Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis.

Street vendors have no respite from the heat. So do many others in the Phoenix area, particularly construction workers and landscapers.

Ferguson’s job in downtown Phoenix is ​​a hot one. The concrete and asphalt that line the entire downtown area make the heat feel even more intense, as the heat radiates through the streets as more than 40,000 fans gather to watch a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.

“Lots of sunscreen shirts and ice water,” Ferguson said of dealing with the heat. “It’s the only way to get through it.”

Chase Field can be air-conditioned and has a retractable roof that closes during most games in the height of summer, which is obviously good for fans and players. But keeping the massive stadium cool in the summer is sometimes tricky, and players have commented on occasion on how surprisingly stifling it is inside.

Ramiro Lopez has been working in suburban Phoenix as a landscaping worker for five years and says each summer is hotter than the last. Between jobs, he takes breaks in his air-conditioned truck to protect himself from the heat, but the past three months have been grueling.

“I learned to drink a lot of sports drinks and make sure I finish before 1 p.m.,” Lopez said. “Otherwise, it’s just too much.”

In Phoenix, there were 37 nights this summer when the temperature did not drop below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius), another record.

There have also been 54 days of 110-degree temperatures, which is one day shy of last year’s record of 55 days. That number could be surpassed later this week. The heat is tough on everyone, but it’s especially tough on low-income areas.

“Not being able to cool down at night can affect people’s health because heat can build up in the body,” Arizona State University climatologist Erinanne Saffell wrote in an email response. “People should make sure to stay cool and hydrated.”

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Associated Press writers Anita Snow in Phoenix, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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