Tucson hit 108 degrees Thursday, first day of two-day excessive heat warning

Thursday was the beginning of a two-day excessive heat warning for Tucson, reaching a high temperature of 108 degrees at 3:41 p.m., knocking off the hottest day here so far this year set a day earlier.

The high for Friday also expected to be at 108 degrees. However, there is supposed to be more cloud cover as well, which could bring Friday’s temperature down a little.

As hot as Tucson will be by week’s end, it is expected to be about two degrees cooler than Phoenix, according to the weather service forecast.

The weather will cool down after Friday to more typical temperatures here. It’s expected to be 103 degrees here Saturday and 101 degrees Sunday, said Dalton Van-Stratten, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Tucson.

Another round of heat, however, is expected by mid-week when it could reach 110 degrees here, said Van-Stratten.

“It is normal to have temperatures of 105 degrees and higher in June,” Van-Stratten said. “We can usually expect to see up to 10 days in June and July of 105 degree temperatures, so when this does happen, it’s like a heat wave. It’s not normal to see temperatures that high all the time during the month, but not unheard of.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

May usually has one day of 105 degrees or higher, but this year there were none.

Last year, Tucson had seven days of 105 degrees or higher in June. But July 2023 had 29 days where temperatures here rose at least that high.

As for 110-degree days in June and July, the average is only one day each month, Van-Stratten said.

Van-Stratten stressed the importance of staying hydrated and avoiding outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day during days that are especially hot. He also said recognizing the symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as fatigue and sweating, before it goes on to be a heat stroke is important.