Phoenix is kicking off Tuesday, June 16 under a relentless sun with a high near 110°F — the National Weather Service has the metro under Moderate to locally Major Heat Risk, and this is a day to plan around. If you haven’t locked in your schedule, do it now: keep activities close to shade, a pool, or an air conditioner until the sun backs off.
Today’s Setup
Clear skies and a south-southwest breeze of 0 to 10 mph will push us to 110°F this afternoon — running 5 to 8 degrees above normal for mid-June, according to NWS forecasters. Tonight’s “cool down” only gets us to around 87°F, with west-southwest gusts up to 20 mph. No rain in the Valley — isolated shower chances are limited to terrain in southwest Arizona and southeast California, well away from the metro. This is a straight heat event. Check on elderly neighbors without AC, bring pets inside during peak hours, and never leave children or animals in a parked vehicle.
Best Window To Be Outside
Your safe outdoor window is roughly 5–8 AM. South Mountain and Camelback Mountain draw early hikers, but turn back before the sun climbs. Carry a cooling neck towel and fill an insulated tumbler 30oz with ice water before heading out — these aren’t luxuries at 110°F. Once the heat is up, shift to pool time and let kids burn energy with a kids sprinkler toy in the backyard.
For hot-weather gear, check out our outdoor gear deals — including a 2-Person Intex Floating Lounge with Cooler for just $24 that’s built for exactly this kind of week.
Games & Events This Week
The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Los Angeles Angels at Chase Field on Wednesday, June 17 — and that climate-controlled interior with the retractable roof may be the smartest outing of the week. Deck out in an Arizona Diamondbacks jersey or an Arizona Diamondbacks fitted cap and make it a night. Find tickets on StubHub or Get tickets on SeatGeek.
Also on Wednesday the 17th, the Phoenix Mercury take on the Las Vegas Aces at Mortgage Matchup Center — another great air-conditioned escape. Later in the week, the Khalid: It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour hits Arizona Financial Theatre on June 21. Grab a Khalid t-shirt and lock in your seats now.
Too Hot To Cook
Skip the stove tonight. Cold Thai noodle salad, a build-your-own wrap bar, or smoothie bowls are the move when it’s still 87°F at midnight. A high-powered blender handles smoothie bowls in seconds, and an insulated tumbler 30oz keeps your drink cold through the whole meal. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
Next Few Days
Wednesday holds near 109°F before a slow retreat begins. The National Weather Service says an eastern Pacific low will dry the region out and bring temperatures closer to normal — along with breezy conditions — by the back half of the week and into the weekend. Thursday is already forecast to reach 106°F. Still hot, but trending the right direction. Hang in there, Phoenix.
