Honestly, if you've ever stepped out of a car at Sky Harbor Airport in July, you know that "hot" doesn't quite cover it. It's more like walking into a convection oven that someone forgot to turn off. But lately, the record temperature Phoenix AZ conversations have shifted from "it’s a dry heat" jokes to some seriously alarming statistics.
We aren't just breaking records anymore. We're shattering them.
Take 2024, for instance. It was officially the hottest year in Phoenix history, and it wasn't even a close race. The average year-round temperature hit 78.6 degrees, beating the old records from 2017 and 2020 by over a full degree. That might sound small on paper, but in climatology, a 1.3-degree jump in the annual average is a massive, flashing red light.
The Summer That Simply Refused to End
You might remember the headlines about the "streak." In 2024, Phoenix endured 113 consecutive days where the mercury hit at least 100 degrees. Think about that. From late May all the way into mid-September, there wasn't a single day of relief. The previous record was 76 days, set back in 1993. We didn't just beat the record; we added over a month to it.
It's relentless.
And then there’s the "110 club." Most years, Phoenix sees about 21 days where it hits 110 degrees. In 2024? We had 70 days. That is nearly a third of the entire year spent in what most people would consider "emergency" heat levels. Even October decided to join the party, recording the first-ever 110-degree days in Phoenix’s history during that month.
Why the Nights are Getting Scarier
Everyone talks about the highs, but the real danger in the desert is often the lows. Or lack thereof.
In the old days—like, the 1950s—the desert would shed heat at night. You'd get that crisp evening air. Now, because of the "urban heat island" effect, all that concrete and asphalt acts like a giant thermal battery. It soaks up the sun all day and bleeds it back out at night.
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In 2024, Phoenix set a record with 39 nights where the temperature never dropped below 90 degrees.
Basically, the body never gets a chance to recover. If you're living in a place without reliable AC, or if you're working outdoors, your core temperature just stays elevated. It’s a cumulative strain that kills.
2025: Not Much Better
If you were hoping for a fluke, 2025 didn't deliver much comfort. It clocked in as the second-hottest year on record with an average of 78.0 degrees.
August 7, 2025, specifically, was a nightmare. The city hit 118 degrees, which is the hottest August day ever recorded since they started keeping track in 1895. It broke a record that had stood for years across several tie-breakers.
We also saw February 2025 tie for the hottest February ever.
It’s becoming a year-round problem. We aren't just looking at "hot summers" anymore; we’re looking at a fundamental shift in the baseline climate of the Sonoran Desert’s largest metro area.
The Surprising Decline in Heat Deaths
Here is the part that most people get wrong. You’d assume that as the record temperature Phoenix AZ spikes, the death toll would naturally skyrocket too.
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But 2024 saw something weird.
Despite being the hottest summer ever, heat-related deaths in Maricopa County actually dropped for the first time in a decade. We went from 645 deaths in 2023 down to 602 in 2024.
Don't get me wrong, 602 deaths is still a tragedy. It’s nearly ten times higher than it was in 2014. But the dip is a signal that the city’s frantic "heat mitigation" efforts might actually be working.
What’s actually making a difference?
The City of Phoenix created the first publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation a few years back. They’ve been doing things that sound small but have big impacts:
- 24/7 Respite Centers: Giving people a place to sleep in the AC, especially those experiencing homelessness.
- Cool Pavement: Coating streets with a gray treatment that reflects sunlight rather than absorbing it. It can drop surface temps by about 10–12 degrees.
- The Shade Phoenix Plan: A massive push to plant 27,000 trees and build 550 shade structures by 2030.
David Hondula, who leads the city's heat office, has been pretty vocal about the fact that "heat deaths are preventable." Most of the people dying indoors (about 7 in 10) actually have an AC unit—it’s just broken or they can't afford the bill.
The Reality of Living in 122-Degree Potential
The all-time record for Phoenix is still 122 degrees, set on June 26, 1990. We haven't topped that specific number yet, but we are hovering near it much more frequently.
What’s changed is the "chronic" nature of the heat. Experts like Ladd Keith from the University of Arizona are now framing this as a chronic crisis rather than an acute one. A "heat wave" implies it comes and goes. In Phoenix, the heat arrives in May and stays for dinner, breakfast, and the next three months.
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If you're moving here or visiting, you have to respect the numbers.
Honestly, the "moderate" days are often the most dangerous because people let their guard down. In 2024, over half of the heat deaths happened on days that weren't even under an "Excessive Heat Warning." People went for a hike at 10:00 AM thinking it was "only" 95 degrees, not realizing their body was already stressed from three weeks of 110-degree afternoons.
How to Actually Survive the New Normal
If you’re living through these record-breaking cycles, you need a better plan than just "staying hydrated."
First, pre-cool your home. If you have a decent AC, run it lower in the morning when the grid is less stressed and the air is "cooler." This gives your walls and furniture a "thermal bank" to stay cooler when the afternoon sun starts pounding on the roof.
Second, check your neighbors. Most indoor deaths are found during welfare checks. If you know an older person living alone, a two-minute knock on the door can literally be a lifesaver.
Lastly, stop hiking when the sun is up. Seriously. The Phoenix Fire Department spends half their summer rescuing people from Camelback Mountain who thought they were "fit enough" to handle the trail. Between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, the desert is effectively closed for business.
Actionable Steps for the Heat Season
To stay ahead of the next record-breaking streak, you should focus on these three things:
- Audit your AC now: Don't wait until June. Get a technician to check the capacitors and coolant levels in March or April. Once the first 110-degree day hits, the wait times for repairs jump to two weeks.
- Use the Heat Relief Network: If your AC fails, Phoenix has a map of "Cooling Centers" and "Hydration Stations." Keep a physical or offline copy of this map on your phone.
- Invest in Shade: If you have a west-facing window, use blackout curtains or external solar screens. Stopping the sun before it hits the glass is 10x more effective than trying to cool the air once it's already inside.
The trend isn't reversing anytime soon. We’re likely to see more years like 2024 and 2025 where the average temperatures keep creeping upward. Adaptation isn't just a buzzword in Phoenix anymore; it’s the only way to keep living in the Valley of the Sun.