Extreme Heat Preparedness in Surprise, Arizona

At the Youngtown cooperative weather station, the federal record used here for Surprise, the 1991 to 2020 normal daily high is 102.2 degrees in June, 104.9 in July and 103.6 in August (NOAA ACIS, Youngtown normals).

At the same Youngtown station, normal lows run 72.2 degrees in June, 79.7 in July and 79.2 in August, and the normal high stays at 98.4 degrees in September (NOAA ACIS). The Flood Control District of Maricopa County says the county frequently exceeds 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months (Flood Control District of Maricopa County). The station is named Youngtown in the federal record, not Surprise, so these are station normals rather than a reading taken inside Surprise city limits.

Last verified: October 19, 2026, for Surprise, by pulling the Youngtown normals again and rereading the NWS Phoenix heat page and alert criteria, both Maricopa County heat pages and the regional Heat Relief Network directory.

NWS Phoenix issues an Extreme Heat Watch or Warning when its HeatRisk forecast reaches the Major or Extreme level, with a watch at moderate (50 percent) confidence and a warning at high (80 percent or more) confidence (NWS Phoenix heat page).

HeatRisk is a 0 to 4 scale that NWS Phoenix publishes for the next seven days, built from how far highs and lows run above normal, how long the heat lasts and how warm the nights stay (NWS Phoenix). The office says there is not one single, constant temperature used to determine when an alert will be issued. Level 3 (red) is Major risk for much of the population and Level 4 (magenta) is Extreme risk for the entire population, with little to no relief overnight.

The office's criteria sheet, updated 23 June 2025, says an Extreme Heat Watch is normally issued 2 to 7 days ahead and that warnings can be issued more readily during large events, holidays and weekends (NWS Phoenix criteria). The lesser Heat Advisory is listed only for zones 557, 558 and 563, the Mazatzal Mountains, the Pinal and Superstition Mountains and southeast Gila County, and the sheet says advisories are not issued for the rest of the office's lower elevation forecast zones.

NWS Phoenix also publishes a daily probabilistic forecast on the same heat page, giving the chance that the high reaches 100, 105, 110 or 120 degrees, and a current yearly count of extreme temperatures for Phoenix (NWS Phoenix). The page notes that its temperatures are for specific locations such as Sky Harbor Airport, and that the HeatRisk color shown for Phoenix represents an average of six points around the Phoenix Metro Area, so neither is a Surprise reading (NWS Phoenix).

Surprise has five sites in the 2026 regional Heat Relief Network directory, three of them libraries (Maricopa Association of Governments, Heat Relief Network directory).

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health and MAG launched the 2026 Heat Relief Network on May 1, saying it would offer free, cooled spaces through September 30, and that the interactive Heat Relief Map at hrn.azmag.gov includes more than 200 locations across Maricopa County (Maricopa County, April 30, 2026). The network dates to 2005. 211 Arizona operators take calls in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily to find nearby cooling sites and utility assistance, and transportation to heat relief sites is available based on eligibility.

The end dates do not line up across the official pages. The county launch release says September 30; the county Extreme Heat page now says many sites ended services on September 30, 2026, while some stay open through all of October (Maricopa County Public Health, Extreme Heat); and the MAG directory lists all five Surprise sites with end dates of October 30 or 31, 2026. The county page asks residents to call 2-1-1 or visit the heat relief map for the most up to date information on open sites.

Maricopa County's preparation advice for Surprise households centers on air conditioning, checking on others and planning outdoor time around the coolest hours.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health says to use air conditioning whenever possible and asks residents to check regularly on older adults, neighbors and people living alone, especially if they lose power or access to air conditioning (Maricopa County Department of Public Health).

The Flood Control District of Maricopa County adds: stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible, plan outdoor activities for early morning or evening, bring pets indoors with plenty of water, and never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles (Flood Control District). It also says to go to a designated public shelter or heat relief site if a home loses power during extreme heat, and to call 2-1-1 for help locating a free cooling center. The county's Public Health Extreme Heat page is where Maricopa County posts heat relief site status and assistance resources (Maricopa County Public Health).

If a Surprise home loses power in extreme heat, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County says to go to a designated public shelter or heat relief site (Flood Control District).

The City of Surprise lists Arizona Public Service at 602-371-7171 for electric outages (City of Surprise, Monsoon Safety).

The City of Surprise outage steps, posted on its monsoon page, are to switch off high usage items such as air conditioners, computers and televisions so returning voltage does not damage them, keep a battery powered radio on for information, limit how often doors open so cool air stays inside, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and talk to neighbors and offer help (City of Surprise). Southwest Gas (877-860-6020) and EPCOR (800-383-0834) outage lines are on the same Surprise page.

For bills, the Maricopa County Extreme Heat page says local agencies and companies offer programs to help Arizonans with energy and utility bills, and that seniors can find bilingual help with housing, transportation and home-delivered meals (Maricopa County). The 211 Arizona line also connects Surprise callers to utility assistance programs (Maricopa County).

Surprise churches, businesses and community groups can join the Heat Relief Network as a cooling center, hydration station, respite center or donation site by completing the county's HRN Standards and Expectations Form (Maricopa County).

Once approved, a Surprise site is added to the regional map, which updates through the season, according to the county (Maricopa County, April 30, 2026). Individuals can volunteer at heat relief sites on weekdays, evenings and weekends through local municipalities, the Maricopa County Medical Reserve Corps and nonprofits such as the Salvation Army, Arizona Faith Network and St. Vincent de Paul. Commonly needed donations are disposable and insulated water bottles, snacks, toiletries, hats, socks, umbrellas, sunscreen and SPF lip balm, delivered to collection sites listed on the map.

Other Surprise desert living guides cover summer electric bills, closing a house for summer, the monsoon season and dust storm safety.