Phoenix gets trace of rain but weather service says dry streak continues
Nov 6, 2017, 1:17 PM | Updated: Nov 7, 2017, 11:40 am
(Instagram Photo/@gordontolman)
PHOENIX — Phoenicians may have noticed some rain droplets on their cars over the weekend, but the National Weather Service said Monday that the city’s rainless streak was not broken.
Trace amounts of rain fell across the city Saturday morning but the weather service said that was not enough to officially end the dry streak, which goes all the way back to August.
The dry stretch continues! The last time measurable rain fell in #Phoenix was Aug 23. #azwx pic.twitter.com/2mFhRM4v1F
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) November 6, 2017
Last month was the first October in 20 years during which Phoenix received no rain.
“We don’t normally expect to see nothing,” weather service meteorologist Chris Breckenridge said said. “This is the transitory period where you have the monsoon with a chance of rain everyday and then we get into the winter season with Pacific lows moving in on a fairly regular basis.”
But the lack of rain doesn’t mean the summer heat has been sticking around. It has been more than a week since Phoenix recorded a high of at least 90 degrees and it looked as if that trend would continue.
#Phoenix Weekly Planner. 🏈🎱🏇🤽♀️⛳️🚵♀️🏸🏹🎹🎨🎸🎳🎭🚣♀️🎤A picture says a thousand words. Enjoy your week! #AZWX pic.twitter.com/5XWLddW0Zb
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) November 6, 2017
Sunday’s high was 79 degrees, the first time the mercury topped out below 80 degrees in Phoenix since May 16.
However, that doesn’t mean 90 is out of the picture for good: The latest that a 90-degree day occurred in the city was Nov. 15, 1999.
KTAR News’ Jim Cross contributed to this report.