https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/06/19/arizona-desert-heat-june/408363001/
Why Phoenix gets so hot in June
USA Today Network Weldon B. Johnson , The Republic | azcentral.com Published 2:06 p.m. ET June 19, 2017 | Updated 4:53 p.m. ET June 19, 2017
Extreme heat facts and tips for coping in Phoenix. Weldon B. Johnson/azcentral.com Wochit
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(Photo: Patrick Breen, The Arizona Republic)
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PHOENIX — In the hottest big city in America, summer temperatures routinely top 100 degrees, and on rare occasions can creep beyond 120.
This week, the USA's 12th largest metro area is expected to flirt for at least three days with that top number. Not high enough to fry an egg on a sidewalk, but you might be able to sneak in the extra 40 degrees or so of heat if you set a dark-colored skillet in the sun first.
July has this area's hottest average high temperature, 106.1 degrees compared to 103.9 in June. But three of the four hottest days on record in Phoenix, including the all-time high of 122 degrees on June 26, 1990, have occurred in June.
Monday's high is expected to be 118 degrees. On Tuesday, it will be 120, and Wednesday it will be 119 before Thursday's "cool wave" brings it down to 114. At around 6 a.m. each day, we'll hit a low of 88 or 89.
? June 12: Weather misery for millions: Blistering heat, fierce storms and ... snow!?
? June 11: Record heat, monster hail rattle nation
Many factors contribute to the region's sweltering climate, but we’ll boil it down to five.
1. Location. Arizona is relatively close to the equator and as a result receives a lot of the sun’s energy, particularly at this time of year.
We're approaching the summer solstice at 9:24 p.m. MST Tuesday — 12:24 a.m. ET Wednesday for those of you used to daylight saving time — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. That's when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
Days are longer during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere because of the tilt of the earth on its axis as it rotates around the sun. Those longer days offer more opportunity for things to heat up.
2. Elevation. The Phoenix area is about 1,000 feet above sea level.
Other parts of the state have the same desert landscape as Phoenix, and many of those places are farther south and closer to the equator.
Along Interstate 8 south of Phoenix are some of them: Yuma, about 140 feet above sea level; Wellton, 245; Tacna, 350; Dateland, 435; and Gila Bend, 735. They're all forecast to experience the same warm oven as Phoenix.