July 2020 burned into the record books as the hottest month in Tucson history. At least, that was the case until August 2020 had the mercury rise even higher. Both months highlight a rise in temperatures and drought conditions that is particularly affecting the American Southwest. Though the hottest single day remains June 26, 1990, last summer's average temperature was solidified as Tucson's hottest ever—and contributed to 2020 ranking as the driest year in more than a century of weather records. On April 12, Scientific American published an article putting it bluntly: "We are living in a 'climate emergency,' and we're going to say so. It's time to use a term that more than 13,000 scientists agree is needed." Last year saw California's largest wildfire season ever. And in February, Texas fought through a frigid winter storm that turned out to be the state's costliest natural disaster on record. And between the two, the Sonoran Desert is grappling with its own climate struggles.