Northern Arizona is usually where Valley residents go for respite from the summer heat. But next week, the region is expected to see near-record temperatures.
Flagstaff will be within three degrees of its all-time high of 97 degrees, according to Mark Stubblefield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The Grand Canyon will be even hotter.
“Down in Phantom Ranch, the forecast high for Monday is 119 degrees,” Stubblefield says. “That’s deadly. I know people like to think they’re gonna hike to the river and back in a day. Don’t even try it.”
Phantom Ranch is the only lodging option at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and has been serving guests for more than 100 years. Reservations are booked through a lottery system more than a year in advance, and the site can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River.
