Utah heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 17 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 37 heat records in Utah from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 5.3 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 1, 2013 heat in Garfield County and 2 more: 3 deaths. Utah ranks 47th of 51 states and territories by count and 47th of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Utah, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 371996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 5.3average
Deaths: 112 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: –as filed
Busiest year: 202127 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Utah?

Utah averages about 5.3 heat records a year since 2000, 47th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2021 (27). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Utah records 4.5 heat records since 1996, 47th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Utah have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Davis County leads Utah: 2 days with a heat record since 1996, 6.2 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Garfield County has the most heat records (9 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Davis County 6.2 (2)
Weber County 3.3 (2)
Salt Lake County 2.7 (2)
Washington County 2.5 (8)
Utah County 2.0 (4)
Kane County 1.3 (7)
Garfield County 1.2 (9)
Grand County 1.1 (4)
Wayne County 0.8 (3)
Carbon County 0.7 (1)
Emery County 0.7 (3)
San Juan County 0.6 (7)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Utah?

95% of its heat records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (23 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 23 · Jul 12 · Aug 2 · Sep 0 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Utah?

Utah: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2013-07-01	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Utah Hot temperatures contributed to the deaths of three hikers in southern Utah. On July 3, an elderly couple from California received permits to hike The Wave, a popular destination in far southern Utah. Both victims were found on the morning of July 4, and it is believed that they died during the afternoon of the 3rd, ...	3	0	–
2024-07-13	Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Lower Washington County At approximately 2:30 pm MST, park rangers and search and rescue units from local law enforcement found and began treating two hikers in Snow Canyon State Park who were suffering from heat exhaustion. While treating the injured hikers, the units were notified by a passerby of an unconscious woman nearby. First ...	1	2	–
2013-08-15	HeatEmery County and 2 more · forecast zone San Rafael Swell A 56-year-old woman and her husband were hiking the Brimhall Double Bridge Trail in Capitol Reef National Park on August 15, when the woman became ill. The man went to get help, but she had passed away by the time medical personnel arrived. The cause of death was heat exhaustion, with temperatures exceeding 90 ...	1	0	–
2013-07-21	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Utah Hot temperatures returned to southern Utah in late July, and another heat-related death occurred at The Wave, a popular hike near the Utah/Arizona border. A 27-year-old Arizona woman was hiking The Wave with her husband on July 22, when they got lost and spent several hours trying to find their way back to their ...	1	0	–
2024-07-21	Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Lower Washington County A 56-year-old woman was hiking on a trail near Quail Creek State Park and reportedly ran out of water. When found by first responders the woman was unresponsive, and despite attempting life-saving measures, she ultimately did not survive. Temperatures nearby look to have peaked between around 103F to 105F during the ...	1	0	–
2022-07-17	Excessive HeatSan Juan County · forecast zone Canyonlands / Natural Bridges High temperatures of 98 to 104 degrees were reported by various automated weather stations. On the evening of Sunday, July 17, Canyonlands National Park staff received a report of a missing male subject who was overdue after attempting a short hike from Elephant Hill in the Needles District that afternoon. The body of ...	1	0	–
2021-07-21	HeatUtah County · forecast zone Utah Valley A 9-year-old boy was found dead in a vehicle in American Fork on Wednesday, July 21, at around 1:45 p.m. It is believed the child was inside the car for approximately two hours before he was discovered. Temperatures in the vicinity of American Fork at the time were generally in the 90-95 degree Fahrenheit range.	1	0	–
2019-08-13	HeatJuab County and Utah County · forecast zone Southern Wasatch Front A 6-month-old boy died of pediatric vehicular heatstroke on August 13 in Santaquin.	1	0	–
2005-07-12	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Glen Canyon Recreation Area/Lake Powell Excessive heat likely led to the death of a hiker in Glen Canyon. Temperatures reached 110 deg during the afternoon.	1	0	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Utah?

Utah's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Utah and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Utah	United States	Utah's share
1996-99	0	4,355	0
2000s	1	9,163	0.01%
2010s	4	16,445	0.02%
2020-26	32	26,796	0.12%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Utah

The 9 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2024-07-21	Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Lower Washington County	1	0	–
2024-07-13	Excessive HeatWashington County · forecast zone Lower Washington County	1	2	–
2022-07-17	Excessive HeatSan Juan County · forecast zone Canyonlands / Natural Bridges	1	0	–
2021-07-21	HeatUtah County · forecast zone Utah Valley	1	0	–
2019-08-13	HeatJuab County and Utah County · forecast zone Southern Wasatch Front	1	0	–
2013-08-15	HeatEmery County and 2 more · forecast zone San Rafael Swell	1	0	–
2013-07-21	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Utah	1	0	–
2013-07-01	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Utah	3	0	–
2005-07-12	HeatGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Glen Canyon Recreation Area/Lake Powell	1	0	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.