It's So Hot In Arizona Today That Planes Are Being Grounded

If you’re struggling to keep your cool in this heat, you’re not alone: temperatures in Arizona are climbing so high that planes can’t even take off.

Phoenix is being particularly affected by the soaring temperatures. With the forecast for Tuesday clocking in at a sweltering 120 degrees, the heat is actually grounding some American Airlines flights out of Sky Harbor International Airport.

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The reason? The planes that the airline uses for regional flights are designed to operate at a maximum temperature of 118 degrees. With the forecast calling for heat a full two degrees above the maximum, safety concerns have forced those planes to stay on the tarmac. As of today, 20 flights have been cancelled due to the heat.

The danger actually lies with the way an airplane lifts off from the ground. Since hot air is less dense than cold air, more speed is needed to lift a plane taking off through hot air than a plane in chillier conditions. The runway at Sky Harbor International Airport may not be long enough to allow planes to reach the correct speed, spelling potential disaster for the aircrafts.

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Customers are receiving refunds and rebooking from the airlines. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time heat has grounded planes in Phoenix.

The record heat of June 26, 1990 forces some airlines to shut down their Phoenix operations for the day. The temperature that day? 122 degrees, which means Phoenix is only two degrees shy of the all-time record.