Weather service: Arizona monsoon likely to pick up power in July
May 31, 2016, 3:12 PM | Updated: Jun 1, 2016, 11:29 am
(KTAR Photo)
(KTAR Photo)
PHOENIX — According to the calendar, Arizona’s monsoon season begins June 15, but the National Weather Service said it will likely get rolling closer to early July.
Ken Waters with the weather service said, despite the monsoon season not adhering to the calender by the day, it should be a fairly typical year.
“Usually, for the Phoenix area, the early part of the monsoon, you’re going to be a little more susceptible to dust storms,” he said. “A little later in the monsoon, it’s going to be a flood issue. We’re talking mid- to late August.”
Of course, most Arizonans know that the monsoon can be unpredictable at times. Waters said this year’s monsoon will likely hold a few surprises, just like have happened in previous years.
“Some places get three or four times the normal rainfall for the monsoon and, just a few miles away, there’s nothing,” he said. “We know there are places that are going to get hit. They get hit every year. It’s just going to vary.”
No matter where the storms hit, Waters said Arizona could use the hydration after a weak El Nino.
“We’re already kind of running into a deficit again and there’s even some indications that the drought is actually getting worse again,” he said. “It’s a never-ending battle out here.”
KTAR’s Jim Cross contributed tot his report.
