Following July’s hottest month on record, August in Tucson was another above-average month for heat.
But, unlike our relatively dry July, August logged more rain than usual. And that has helped the last half of the 2023 monsoon season here eke out an above-normal rainfall total heading into September.
The average high in August is typically 98.6 degrees. This year, the average August high was 102.1.
There were 21 days last month in which temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, bookended by two seven-consecutive-day stretches reaching that mark. The month normally sees 15 days reach such temperatures.
Tucson also saw 11 days where highs reached 105, more than double the average amount.
Only one day in August had temperatures exceed 110. Tucson normally does not see a day reach 110 degrees in August, according to the National Weather Service.
In total, there have been 70 days where a high of at least 100 degrees was recorded at Tucson International Airport, where the city’s official readings are taken. This surpasses the annual average of 68.
Through August, the weather service recorded 48 days of 105-degree-highs, while the expected amount for a given year is 26. We had 17 August days where temperatures reached 105, when we usually have just two.
Heat-related deaths
According to the Pima County medical examiner’s office, 27 county residents died during the month due to heat-related causes as of Aug. 30, bringing the year’s total to 101.
Darkness begins to close in as a monsoon storm drops rain in the western reaches of the Tortolita Mountains, north and west of Tucson, on Thursday.
Of these 27, 22 were at least 60 years old, 70% were men, and 52% of the deaths occurred outdoors, according to the county’s heat-related deaths data dashboard.
Heat-related deaths are defined as deaths in which “environment heat exposure is either the primary cause of death or a significant contributing factor to the death.”
As of Aug. 30, 14 Pima County residents died during the month as a direct result of environment heat exposure. Thirteen deaths in August had heat as a contributing factor; the majority of those were listed by the county as overdoses.
Seasonal rain totals
While it’s been a hotter-than-average monsoon season, which runs from June 15 to Sept. 15 each year, Tucson has also received an above-normal amount of rainfall in that span, although just barely.
So far, the city has received 4.39 inches of rain in the season — only 0.02 inches above the expected amount through Aug. 31.
“That tropical storm we had in August played a role,” said Marc Singer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service here. “It didn’t have the massive, direct impact on Tucson, but it had fringe impact and I think that helped bump up some of the numbers and prime the atmosphere as far as moisture is concerned.”
Rainfall for the month of August was 2.39 inches, above the normal 1.82 inches.
Last hurrah for monsoon?
Looking to the Labor Day weekend, Singer thinks that, while we do have storm activity on the horizon, it may be the last of what the city receives from this year’s monsoon.
“Looking forward, the monsoon pretty much shuts down in mid-September ... this is it in the next couple weeks,” he said. “I still think that there’s a chance we’ll see a couple more active days, but we’re running out of time here.”
The forecast for Friday was a high of 88 degrees, with an 80% to 90% chance of heavy rainfall.
NWS Tucson expects Saturday highs to reach 92 degrees in the city, with a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. The weather service expects temperatures to warm up on Sunday and Monday, placing high temperatures back in the mid-90s with sunny skies through the holiday.
Photos: Monsoon 2023 in Tucson
A couple of pedestrians enjoy the rain as they skip through a cross walk at Church Avenue and Pennington Street during a monsoon shower over downtown, Tucson, Ariz., September 13, 2023. Large swaths of rain, often heavy, fell on the area throughout the day
A cyclist braves the rain on the soaked bike lane on Congress Street during a heavy monsoon shower over downtown, Tucson, Ariz., September 13, 2023.
A person walks over the pedestrian bridge between the Pima County Court complex and Presidio Park during a heavy monsoon shower over downtown, Tucson, Ariz., September 13, 2023.
People walk on the wet sidewalk, E Congress St, after the rainfall late Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 13, 2023.
A man waits for the bus in the rain early Wednesday afternoon, N Silverbell Rd, Tucson, Ariz., Sept. 13, 2023.
A man waits at the crosswalk during the rainfall late Wednesday afternoon, E Toole Ave, Sept. 13, 2023.
A lightning bolt hits near the Tortolita Mountains as a monsoon storm skirts west and north of Tucson on Thursday night.
Darkness begins to close in as a monsoon storm drops rain in the western reaches of the Tortolita Mountains, north and west of Tucson, on Thursday.
Bands of rain darken the evening sky as a monsoon storm moves to the west and north of Tucson, Ariz., August 31, 2023.
Bands of rain fall on the eastern slopes of the Tortolita Mountains as a monsoon storm just misses Tucson, Ariz., just after sunset, August 31, 2023.
A monsoon storm has several bands of rain and lighting over the Tortolita Mountains, slipping past Tucson, Ariz., to the west and north during the early evening, August 31, 2023.
Cloud lighting lights up the skies east of downtown, Tucson, Ariz., during a monsoon storm that had pockets of heavy rain and winds widely scattered over the area, August 30, 2023.
A man walks at the intersection of Stone Ave. and Pennington Street as a monsoon storm passes over downtown Tucson on August 21, 2023.
People walk near the Joel D. Valdez Main Library as a monsoon storm passes over downtown Tucson on August 21, 2023.
A woman stands at the intersection of Stone Ave. and Pennington Street as a monsoon storm passes over downtown Tucson on August 21, 2023.
A woman uses an umbrella to shield herself from rain as a monsoon storm passes over downtown Tucson. on August 21, 2023.
A FedEx jet takes off from Tucson, Ariz., International Airport with a rainbow background from a monsoon storm that had some patchy rain, wind and lightning in the valley starting just before sunset, August 10, 2023.
A monsoon storm cloud is caught in the sunset behind a stand of saguaros on the west side of Tumamoc Hill, Tucson Ariz., August 10, 2023. The storm threw down some widely scattered rain, wind and lightning around metro Tucson.
A rainbow arcs over the eastern sky behind a stand of saguaros along north Campbell Avenue, part of the scattered monsoon storm that rumbled over Tucson, Ariz., August 8, 2023.
Clouds swirl over a sculpture on the corner of Campbell Avenue and Skyline Drive as part of a scattered monsoon storm drops over the Santa Catalina foothills, Tucson, Ariz., August 8, 2023.
The bronze life size statue at Steven's Plaza dances under the dark monsoon sky Tuesday on the corner of N Fourth Ave and E Ninth St., Tucson, Ariz., August 8, 2023.
Joey Gaxiola, left, and Jasmine Gaxiola use an umbrella to take cover outside of Hotel Congress during the light showers late afternoon, Tuesday on E Congress St., Tucson, Ariz., August 8, 2023.
Pedestrians wait at the Broadway and 4th Ave bus stop as storm clouds form and the weather drops out of triple digits an ends a record long heat streak in Tucson, Ariz., August 8, 2023.
Late afternoon traffic is steady as storm clouds hang over E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, Ariz., before the light rainfall starts, August 8, 2023.
A composite of nine images over about 30 minutes of lightning strikes from a monsoon storm blowing in from the east over the flight line at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Ariz., July 29, 2023.
Multiple lightning strikes from a very electric monsoon storm blowing in from the east over the flight line at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Ariz., July 29, 2023.
A monsoon storm throws a bolt of lightning over the cityscape of Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2023. The storm swept through shortly before sunset and snapped utility poles, downed power lines in addition dropping rain and lightning through out the evening.
A Tucson Police officer crosses Golf Links Road by one of the multiple utility poles snapped off near Mann Avenue in the monsoon storm that swept through Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2023.
Emergency personnel walk by one of multiple utility poles snapped off along Golf Links Road near Mann Avenue in the monsoon storm that swept through Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2023.
Lightning strikes over the mountains in Catalina as the sun begins to set during the storm in Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2023.
The train rides underneath a big rainbow that stretches across N. Toole Ave., Tucson, Ariz., after the first wave of rainfall, July 26, 2023.
Two bolts from an early evening monsoon storm flash over the state and federal prisons south of Tucson, Ariz., July 25, 2023. Patchy rains accompanied the storm.
Lightning strikes in the Catalina Mountain foothills in a rain cell on the northwest side of Tucson, Ariz., July 25, 2023. The storm surrounded the central part of the valley, mainly moving through sections south and southeast of the city.
Bolts from an early evening monsoon storm strike south of the state and federal prisons along Wilmot Road, Tucson, Ariz., July 25, 2023.
An arcing bolt of lightning finds the ground near the state and federal prison complexes south of Tucson, Ariz., July 25, 2023, as a monsoon storm drops some scattered rain through the valley.
A composite of five images shows multiple lightning strikes in a ten minute span as a monsoon storm rolls over the state and federal prisons south of Tucson, Ariz., July 25, 2023.
Rain clouds hang over the construction site on N. Fourth Ave. before the start of a big downpour in Tucson, Ariz., July 23, 2023.
Cars drive down E. Broadway Blvd. Tucson, Ariz. as rain falls steadily, July 23, 2023.
A heavy stream of rain hits the parking lot as customers wait in their cars for the storm to pass at S. Park Ave, Tucson, Ariz., July 23, 2023.
The sky goes red as a monsoon storm slowly rolls over downtown, Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2023, with a little bit of lightning. Lighting, wind and a little rain over the central part of the city, with most of the storm hitting just to the south.
Lightning and a monsoon storm puts a bit a damper on Free Film Fridays delaying the start of the night’s feature, Clueless, at Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Rd., Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2023. The film was shown, but the pool was off limits.
Lightning strikes over downtown, Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2023, as a monsoon storm rolls over the valley. Again the rain was mostly to the south of the city, with bands on the eastern edge along the Rincon foothills.
A lightning bolt hits northwest of Gates Pass, one of the last several scattered rain cells at the tail-end of a monsoon storm that skirted south of Tucson, Ariz., July 19, 2023. The largest part of the cell slipped south of town, dropping rain and sporadic lightning in Tucson Estates and west along Ajo Highway.
Aurora Apodaca, left, lets out a laugh as she plays in the aftermath of a monsoon storm with Oscar Stump on the west side of Tucson Monday afternoon.
Laura Stump helps her daughter, Magda, dip her feet in the aftermath of a monsoon storm on the west side of Tucson Monday afternoon.
People use a plastic garbage bag to shield themselves from the monsoon storm as they make their way to a bus stop along St. Mary’s Road on Monday afternoon.
People use a plastic garbage bag to shield themselves from the monsoon storm as they make their way to a bus stop along St. Mary’s Road on Monday afternoon.
A man walks along St. Mary’s Road as a monsoon storm finally makes an appearance in Tucson on Monday afternoon.
Ruth Estrada handles the task of tying while her husband Josh gets a bucket full for the next bag as the couple get ready for the rains at the city’s sandbag site on the east parking lot of Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., July 13, 2023. There’s a limit of 10 bags per vehicle and baggers need to bring their own shovels. Pima County has a 20 bag limit at their 11 sites through out the area: 16091 W. Universal Ranch Rd. —fire station in Arivaca; E. Snyder Rd. and N .Lason Ln.; E. Carter Canyon Rd. and N. Sabino Canyon Parkway — Mt. Lemmon; 3885 E. Golder Ranch Dr. — fire station in Catalina; N. Pima Canyon Dr. and E. Ina Rd.; E. Dawson Rd. and S. County Club Rd.; 1313 S. Mission Road — Pima County Mission Yard; S. Camino Verde and W. Ajo Hwy. — fire station; Trico Rd. and Silverbell Rd. — fire station; 6625 N. Sandario Rd. — fire station; N. La Canada Dr. and Paseo Del Chino in Green Valley.
Tony Burton ties off one of his freshly filled sandbags from the city’s self-serve site on the east side of Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., July 13, 2023, in anticipation of upcoming monsoon storms.
Lightning strikes at the Pima County Fairgrounds as the first real monsoon storm of the season rolls over the southeastern part of the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 11, 2023. Heavy rain also fell over much of the Vail area.
A twisty bolt of lightning hits near the Pima County Fairgrounds as the first monsoon moisture of the season rolls over the southeastern part of the valley, Tucson, Ariz., July 11, 2023.
A bolt of lightning hits south of the Pima County Fairgrounds as the first significant monsoon storm of the year rolls over the area south and east of Tucson, Ariz., July 11, 2023.
Sun sets behind the a saguaro near Greasewood Road and Anklam Road with a few scattered clouds as backdrop, the first signs of monsoon moving into the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 11, 2023.
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